Shining Light
by Xandra the Blue
Summary: Well, here goes. Set about 100 hundred years after Sam goes to the havens,basically another ring was made, and guess who has been called into destory it? Their decendents! Pleaze r and r!!
1. Today is the first day of the rest of yo...

Jaded  
  
This is set 100 years after Frodo goes to the Grey havens, and sixty years after Sam goes. I think Pippin and Merry go, but I'm not sure, but I'll just say they went a few years after Sam. Legolas and Gimli went loads after, so they are in this fic quiet early. I am also giving myself a cameo role, so deal with it! Just read okay?  
  
Oh yeah, please R and R, but flames will be donated to Sam to cook Bacon with. Mmmmmmmm Bacon.  
  
___________________  
  
Froda lay in bed. It was the first day of her new high school, and she didn't want to get up. She didn't know anyone, and she hated everyone, irrelevant of whom they were. They would hate her too. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered at all when you were in bed. She was a Baggins. That's all there was to her.  
  
Her great Uncle had written the red book, with Sam Gamgee, which most of the history of the shire had been bast. She knew it off by heart, and she also knew that they were lies. All Baggins cracked went mad and talk to themselves in their life. Great Uncle Frodo had been mad and run off into the wood or something when he wrote the red book. The Gamgee's were still respected, as they had money and a good family name. The only one of those that had every done any thing different was Samwise Gamgee, and he didn't count.  
  
She didn't want to get out of bed. Or rather she did, but she wanted to throw furniture at the wall, and scream and just shout at the world until her throat was sore and she started to cry. She couldn't face the leering face of her 'Classmates' today. She hated them, even though she hadn't even met them at all, even once in her life.  
  
Life was easy, when you observed from under the bed covers. But mum wouldn't allow that. She had to get a job after Dad had died during a battle against the orcs. Well, that's what everyone had been told, even her Mum and Herself. But somehow Froda knew it wasn't true. Froda then decided to get up.  
  
Pulling herself up from the bed she plunged herself into the freezing cold air out of bed. Mum couldn't afford heating again. Not after Dad had died. That's what Mum always said, especially straight after Dad had died. Froda had only been twelve, and didn't understand. Whenever she asked for something that Mum couldn't, or wouldn't get, she would say,' I can't afford that, not after your dad died.' It was almost as if her dad had died to punish her.  
  
Froda searched through the clothes on the floor and found a black Hawaiian T-shirt, a black polo neck and navy blue biker pants. She threw them on, and crawled to her mirror. She picked up a lipstick and put it on. Plum coloured lipstick swept gracefully over her lips, like a dark rainbow. She applied mascara and eyeliner liberally, and grabbed her school bag.  
  
She crept out the house quietly, as her brother Ronald and Mum were asleep. She didn't eat breakfast, as she, unlike most hobbits disliked cooking. She was too scared to eat. She would have thrown up if she had eaten. Too late. She threw up into the sink. She was scared out of her mind. She remembered her last school, and what had happened there. She still had some of the bruises and the scars, and not all physical.  
  
She now knew better than to become friends with anyone.  
  
Or fall in love.  
  
_____________________  
  
'Sam, I hope you'll have a good first day back,' said Miss Iris Gamgee to her second born son, as she got him breakfast.  
  
'I will mum' He replied as she piled bacon, eggs and fried bread onto his plate.  
  
'We'll be getting some new teachers this year,' said Philippina, his twin sister.  
  
'New meat!' said Sam.  
  
'Now, be nice to them' started Iris…  
  
'We will mum,' smiled Philippina evilly.  
  
' Pippin, as if' grinned Sam. Pippin hit him, and they both grinned.  
  
'Well, I'm starting off' said Sam, finishing the last of his egg. He grabbed his skateboard and slung his school bag on his back. Pippin got up also kissed her Mother gently on the cheek, and throwing her bag onto her back followed Sam out.  
  
_____________________________  
  
Froda was on her way to school, and was feeling worse than she had all morning. She was cold, pissed off and starting to think about what was to happen. Everyone, no question would reject her, but knowing this didn't make the fact any easier. It somehow made it worse.  
  
She watched as a couple came past. The guy was a hobbit, and had short curly gold-brown hair. She couldn't help herself. She stared at him. He wore a jock jacket * and skater pants, which clashed in meaning, but showed his personality.  
  
The girl with him had long golden hair, like a sunflower, and large Grey eyes. She wore a tight T-shirt with the logo 'You're a bad boy, go to my room ' on it. She also wore a blue skirt with a flower pattern on it. She also wore a jock jacket. *  
  
Froda realised that she had been seen. The couple looked at her and the guy shouted 'Hey, who are you?'  
  
Froda looked away and carried on walking. The girl ran ahead to a group of girls, shouting 'Hey, how are you girlfriend!' She and some of her friends hugged, and ran ahead.  
  
It started to rain. Shit, she had forgotten her umbrella. Her tears ran with the rain down her face. She cried out of the hopelessness of it all, and didn't make a sound. It wasn't as if anyone would want to share an umbrella with her.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sam watched the strange girl who had been looking at him and Pippin. She had long black curly hair, long black eyelashes, and skin the whiteness of a ghost, as if she really wasn't here, but a sad memory.  
  
But her eyes were something different. They were large and blue. Not blue like the eyes Pippin claimed to have, which were blue/grey, and not blue like any on any face before. This was a deep pitiless blue, which was blue like the sadness of angel or like a star about to go super nova. Maybe if to describe them in a more hobbit way, they were like the blueness of the sea, when the light shone off it in a certain way.  
  
He realised that he must have scared her when he shouted at her. She seemed delicate, like a dark flower on a wild moor. Ever part of him wanted to hug her gently, and tell her everything would be alright, but every part him told her that she would never let him get that close.  
  
It was something in the way she walked through the rain, which said she had seen to much shit to take it from anyone she would ever meet. He got out his umbrella and tried to walk onto the other side of the road with out her thinking that she was coming on to her.  
  
He walked behind her in the mud, almost copying her walk for a few feet when she suddenly turned around and shouted 'What is wrong with you? Look, I sorry if I *offended* you and your club, but fuck off!'  
  
Sam almost staggered back. No girl had ever shouted at him, except Pippin of course. No girl had ever insulted him. No girl he had ever seen could electrify his soul with any more than a flash from her big blue eyes. He staggered back, and said 'What? I didn't do anything. I suppose you don't want to share an umbrella with me.'  
  
'Actually, I would. Thank you.' Froda walked under the umbrella, and kept her distance from six inches away.  
  
'Who are you anyway?' he asked. If he didn't, he knew that he would kick himself forever.  
  
'Oh, some strange kid.' She said off-hand 'You probably don't want to talk to me. Not many people do.'  
  
'Hey, a nice change for you then. I'm Samwise Gamgee. Named after my great grandfather.' He said with a touch of pride.  
  
'My names Froda. Stupid name, I'm named after my Great grand uncle. Weird I know, it's something that I have to live with.' She said, also offhand. Sam did some mental reckoning in his head.  
  
'Are you Froda Baggins?' he asked.  
  
'Yes. You heard of me?' she said, as if impressed that he could think in a tiny way.  
  
'Nah, just thought it might be your name.' He answered. Then he noticed the black mascara running down her face. 'Were you crying?' He questioned.  
  
'No,' she said defensively,' It's just the rain, and I can't afford good mascara.'  
  
Sam looked at her. They both knew she was lying. She wiped her face with her sleeve, and they both feel silent. After what seemed a short eternity Sam plucked up his courage and asked, 'Are you new to the shire?'  
  
'Sort of, I just moved from Bree. Mum got a new job here, as a layer. Some fight over land or something. Sounds bad, so they got her onto it. She's the best female layer this side of the havens.'  
  
'A layer, that's an unusual profession for a hobbit lass. Maybe if she was an elf, or Dwarf woman, or a human it could be different…'  
  
'You can't keep women under your heel forever you know!' she almost shouted at him,' We have as much brain as the next man!'  
  
'Sorry, we're still a little behind times in the shire.' Apologised Sam.  
  
'Ah, don't worry. I was born in the shire, but we moved before I was three. Lived in Bree, and the Gondor colonies, and the occasional city.' Explained Froda.  
  
'Well, I haven't left the shire ever. The furthest I have been is Overhill. I would love to go and see new place like you seem to.'  
  
'Not if you knew what I do.' She said in almost a whisper, 'Not if you knew what I knew.'  
  
Sam overlooked that comment. She already intrigued him. From what he could tell she was pretty clever in her way, she was streetwise and travelled. He could tell by the way she talked, walked and by the look in her eyes. Just this conversation seemed to have softened her eyes. He smiled at her, and she unexpectedly smiled back.  
  
It stopped raining. Sam held his hand out, and felt the raindrops stop. The sun came out, and warmed his skin a little. He closed his umbrella, put it back into his bag. He could see the building of Shire high from where he was standing.  
  
'How old are you?' he asked.  
  
'21' she answered, 'How about you?'  
  
'21.' He answered.  
  
'Hey, we're in the same class!' she exclaimed,' What are you taking?'  
  
'What?'  
  
'As in classes?' She seemed to explain.  
  
'Oh, History, Geography, Elfish,HE and drama, as well as the usual stuff like common tongue and maths and so on. '  
  
'Snap!' she said, 'Except I take dwarfish instead of HE. Maybe we'll be in the same class.' She smiled at him again with her mouth and eyes and they walked into the school gates.  
  
Sam plucked up his courage and said, 'Maybe you'd like to join me and my mates for Lunch?'  
  
Froda looked at him and said, 'Sure, it's not as if I have anything better to do.'  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The school filed into the school hall. Estel, Sam, Merry, Ledron, Pippin, kavamir and Thorin sat together, waiting for the head teacher to tell them to shut up and listen.  
  
'Sam' said Kavamir,' Have you seen the new kid?'  
  
'Which one?' he said distracted.  
  
'The hobbit lass who dresses in black and doesn't talk to anyone.' Said Kavamir, pointing vaguely where Froda was sitting.  
  
'Yeah, she seems sexy in a black, scary way.' Said Estel. Estel was the rich kid of the group, but he was a Prince of some sort. He was also one of the most fancied boys in school, but not only for his money. The only Three other people who where fancied as much as him by the female population of the school were Merodic Brabdybuck, Sam Gamgee and Ledron, Pretty boy as Pippin called him when he pissed her off.  
  
They weren't officially the cool kids, but they were notorious. Although better than obscurity, being notorious isn't better than fame. They were fancied by everyone, they ruled the school and the teachers hated them.  
  
Estel say with his legs open and said, 'Anyone see Xandra this morning?'  
  
Kavamir winked at him and said,' Haven't you?'  
  
Estel looked at his best friend 'No?'  
  
Estel suddenly felt hands run down his front, and stroke him gently. They all looked up.  
  
Xandra loved to make an entrance.  
  
She smiled at them and jumped gracefully over the seat, landing next to Estel.  
  
'Hey Estel, do you still want to see me?' she asked and kissed him. She left a blue lipstick mark on his face. That was her trademark as Xandra the blue. She wore blue grunge trousers, a blue shirt, with a dark blue tank top on top. She also wore blue trainers and blue makeup. She was an Aunia, and would live forever.  
  
Estel stroked her blue hair and kissed her  
  
'Look, ol' Gandy looks as if he's about to start his speech!' said Pippin. Estel and Xandra broke off, and watched the old man on the platform.  
  
The teachers sat in a row behind him, on chairs with stern expressions on their faces. Gandalf straightened up and said,' Hello new and old pupils!'  
  
There was a general cheer from the student paternity.  
  
Gandalf cleared his throat.' Well, here we are again, starting a new school term and a new chance to *achieve*'  
  
No one cheered except the new teachers, who quickly stopped.  
  
'Well, I am so glad to teach at a school where there is so much, and indifference between the pupils about race. In that way we waved goodbye to Mr Epson and Miss Klein last term, and we welcome this term, Mr Greenleaf and Mr Gimli!'  
  
The two new teachers stood up as the pupils cheered. Some of the female pupils in the back fainted when they saw Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'Mr Greenleaf will be taking History, and Mr Gimli will replace Miss Klein in P.E' shouted Gandalf over the admiring fans. Some girls in the back started to shout,' I want to take history!'  
  
Estel groaned. Ledron just looked at Mr Greenleaf. Estel then whispered to Xandra, 'Great, a fat old Dwarf will be taking me for Running. Oh great!'  
  
Ledron said, 'It could be worse, he's taking all of us for Archery. Miss Klein told there was no way I could improve as I was so great, not Mr Gimli, he'll go on about technique and crap'  
  
Thorin gave Ledron a dirty look. Ledron smiled lamely and said, 'Sorry Thorin. But you have to admit that I've got a point.'  
  
'For once I agree with pretty boy,' said Thorin, pretty boy being the name that really pissed Ledron off, 'I am the best axeman. This old geezer looks like he'll go on about my throw and crap. '  
  
Merry said,' So who's wants to take history?'  
  
'Me!' Said Pippin, Xandra and Estel at the same time.  
  
They all looked at Estel. 'I like history.'  
  
Sam looked at the new teachers. He had a strange feeling about them. Like their presents would change everything about their life. He put that thought to the back of his head and said,' Well, Mr Greenleaf looks like a good teacher. All who are taking history say I'  
  
'I' said the eight. They all looked at Kavamir and Thorin. No one was going to ask the obvious question about the class. Kavamir and Thorin hated History.  
  
'Mum made me' explained Kavamir. Everyone laughed. He was a fighter, and he could beat up a mountain troll, but the mental image of Kavamir being attacked by a wet tissue by his mum was too much.  
  
Thorin just said, 'I had to, it was the only way I could continue on the axe throwing team.'  
  
'I'm not surprised, after the way you nearly killed Shari (an elf) last term. She is an arse hole, but you didn't need to do that.' Said Xandra.  
  
'It was totally cool how you pinned her up by the make up bag. Bitch' Added Pippin.  
  
'Hey, I never miss. I am da bomb Pippin' said Thorin clicking his fingers and pointing at her.  
  
'Yeah, but it didn't stop ol' Gandy giving you detention for a month and forcing you to take history.' Added Ledron nastily.  
  
'Excuse me,' said Gandalf from the stand,' I hope I'm not interrupting your conversation Ledron and Thorin. Please pay attention. Or leave.' Ledron and Thorin sat back and kept quiet.  
  
'Well, please try to be nice to your new teachers today, and all strive for new heights. Please go to your first lesson!' the bell rang, and the crowd of pupils filed out.  
  
_____________  
  
'Estel, what've you got first?' asked Xandra.  
  
'Dwarfish.' He said simply.  
  
'Me, Pippin, Sam and Kavamir have HE' said Merry, 'so I'll see you second period.'  
  
They all looked at Kavamir. 'Cooking is a way to the la-diees, especially hobbit girls.'  
  
Pippin gave him a dirty look and threw her bag on the floor. She had always been sensitive about her weight, especially when a guy said anything. When she felt threatened about her weight, people found out that even a fat hobbit girl could beat their brains out, and anything could set her off.  
  
'Sorry' he said quickly, 'But I like to cook, and if anyone has a problem with that they can rot in hell.'  
  
Pippin smiled at him. Kavamir went red. He was specialised in sensitivity in some ways.  
  
Then Mr Gimli appeared behind them,' Chop, chop! You don't want to miss your lesson, do you?'  
  
They walked off to their lessons, but not before Merry mouthed 'Fag' under his breath, which made the group laugh.  
  
________________  
  
Estel had decided to make friend with the new kid. She seemed all right, but she seemed as if she hated herself and her life, so people hated her. He wanted to do something good for her, but he didn't know why.  
  
  
  
Froda sat on her own. She was first in the Classroom, and she chose a seat at the back. No one would see her, and it was a perfect position to create trouble in. She wasn't feeling like having people staring at her and finding reasons to reject her. She had a lunch date, and she felt like things might be different here, but it was unlikely. It never was. The guy, Sam was his name wasn't it, probably wanted to make fun of her or something. Shit, she had told him too much!  
  
Well, it just saved time. Some kids came in. One was a dwarf in polyester trousers and a big red gap sweater. He wore loads of bling-bling, and his beard wad just a goatee. The elf wore grunge trousers, blue Jean of course, and a green long sleeve tee underneath a black tee shirt. Their was a girl dressed in blue, and a human again wearing skater pants and a black hoodie with an obscure cartoon character on it.  
  
The dwarf slumped down next to her and the human sat down beside her. She got up to move for the Girl when the dwarf pulled her back down and said, 'Hey, don't worry, you don't need to move. We can have fun to, can't we.' The elf boy and humans laughed nastily.  
  
She got up to move and walked to the other side of the classroom when the girl in blue pulled her back.  
  
'Look, what is wrong with us?' she asked confrontationally,' do we smell? Why don't you want to sit next to us?' Only then did the girl realise that she held Froda by the neck in the air. The girl put her down and Froda rubbed her neck. She sat down where she had been before, and Xandra and Ledron sat down.  
  
'Well, as we are all friends, tell us a little about yourself?' said Ledron.  
  
'My name's Froda, I've moved here from Bree and you guys are taking the piss.'  
  
'Ohh-oh!' said Xandra, Estel and Thorin at the same time.  
  
'Why aren't you taking HE?' asked Thorin,' Hobbits usually take HE.'  
  
She turned around slowly to him and said coolly, 'I. Don't. Like. H.E'  
  
Xandra looked at her and said,' Who put that bug up your arse?'  
  
There was an intake of breath. The Froda rolled her eyes and said, 'People like you.' She smiled smugly, and turned around.  
  
'You are so fucked up!' said Estel.  
  
'Don't tell me, I already know.' Said Froda.  
  
'Look, why don't you want to talk to us? We just want to know about you?' Said Estel. 'We'll find out, weather it's true or not. It's best you tell us now rather than later!' he shouted at her.  
  
'Look, I don't have to take shit from anybody.' She shouted back at him, 'And definitely not from * You *!'  
  
'You think you're so hard, but you're not!' shouted Xandra,' You won't let anyone near out of fear of rejection, You're just a soft little hobbit!'  
  
Froda went quiet. She sat, turning red with anger. She sat staring at her books, until the whole class came in. The class sat there talking, except for Thorin, Froda, Estel and Xandra. Then their teacher came in. Or rather he didn't. Mr Gimli did. Thorin's jaw dropped.  
  
'Where's Dr Crenin?' he said in a whisper loud enough to wake the dead.  
  
'I'm afraid Mr Crerin isn't here today Thorin, he's still feeling ill after your last attack on him. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from trying to do the same to me, as I would most likely lost my temper, and I don't just give out detentions.'  
  
Thorin looked at Ledron and shrugged his shoulders. Gimli wrote the work up on the board. They copied it up into there rough books. Gimli sat down at the desk and looked at Estel.  
  
'Mr Crenin asked me to get your assignment due to him last term Mr Estel. Would you please give it to me at the end of the lesson?'  
  
Estel looked panicky. 'Ehh, yes! Of course!'  
  
'I hope you will Mr Estel, I hope you do.' Then Mr Gimli got out some paper work, and started work.  
  
Estel gave Xandra a look that explained that he didn't have his work, and that he was in deep shit. Suddenly Froda got out a bit of paper, and said, 'Give me a sample of your writing!'  
  
'What?' Said Estel, mystified.  
  
'Look, I've done my work, just give me a sample of writing and I'll copy it over. Simple.' said Froda urgently.  
  
'Why should I trust you?' said Estel.  
  
'Do you have much choice?' asked Froda.  
  
'Good point. ' Estel wrote out the dwarfish alphabet and gave it to Froda. She went to work instantly.  
  
A few minutes later Estel was still having trouble with the second exercise when Froda finished. She slipped it back to him. He compared it to his runes. Perfect match. He looked at Froda. She had started on the work now, and refused to look at him. Estel pencilled his name on the top, and smiled. He could hardly believe that she would do that for him. She hated him, and everyone, but she had helped him out. She was smart, had brilliant penmanship and an attitude problem.  
  
Perfect.  
  
He put the essay into his book when Mr Gimli stood up, and said; 'Now class, just before the bell goes, I am going to give a quick quiz.' The class groaned as a whole.  
  
'Right, who can tell me how you ask for gold to be transported and turned into a line of rings. Ledron?'  
  
'Err….' Ledron panicked. Then on his desk a piece of paper appeared. He read it out hoping against all hopes.  
  
'Err…dhggf rggfrg fgrfgg fgfgfg fgfgf fgsdsdf hgjhy Herr fghfghf yihgj ' He said hesitantly.  
  
'Good for an Elf, but a little work on pronunciation wouldn't got a miss.' Said Mr Gimli. Ledron looked at Froda. She sat writing, but he could tell by the tear in her rough book that she had given him the answer. She looked up, and gave him a look that said, 'What? What is your problem? '  
  
'Froda, would you please pay attention.' Said Mr Gimli, waking her up from a daydream. 'Would you tell the class how to say that you wish to mine in sector 5.8, as there are possible deposits of mytheril? '  
  
Thorin got ready to laugh. No one but a dwarf could say that out aloud, as it sounded like a person throwing up to other people.  
  
Froda looked a little shocked, but she stood up and said it. In perfect dwarfish. Even Thorin was impressed. Mr Gimli looked very shocked. The class looked shocked. Some hobbit kid seemed to have appeared in their class, and started to speak perfect dwarfish. She sat down, and Mr Gimli said,' Very Good Miss Froda, I have only heard once dwarfish that good from a hobbit twice before, I hope you will keep up your good work.'  
  
Froda went red, and sat down. Estel, Xandra, Ledron and Thorin looked at her. She started to put her books away, as an excuse not to talk to them. The bell rang, and they all started to pack away. Estel was about to walk out when Gimli grabbed him and said,' Mr Estel, would you please give me your work?'  
  
'Err…yes.' He brought out his book, and gave the paper to him. Gimli quickly inspected it. He seemed pleased, and put it into a file. Gimli left, and Estel joined everyone outside.  
  
'Want did he say?' asked Xandra.  
  
'Not much,' Estel said,' I think he suspects, but he didn't say anything.'  
  
'I *need* to talk to that freaky kid.' Said Thorin,' She speaks better dwarfish than me!'  
  
'Thorin, you'll ace dwarfish, whatever.' Said Xandra.  
  
'Baby, I don't just know the basics, I ace it' Confirmed Thorin.  
  
'Look, she's just over there, I need to thank her.' Said Estel, and ran off after her.  
  
___________  
  
'Hey! Froda!' he shouted as she ran after her. She turned around slowly, and looked at him.  
  
'Look, why are you following me?' She said almost shouting.  
  
'What the fuck is up with you? One minute you're pissed off with me, and the next you get me out of a tight spot! What the hell is going on with you?' shouted Estel at her. Froda opened her locker by kicking it, and threw her books in.  
  
' I don't know why I did that for you, and frankly I don't care why.' She held her head in her hand, 'I'm not feeling that well, just leave me alone.'  
  
'No, not until you talk to me properly. If you helped me, I need to know why. Do you fancy me?'  
  
Froda laughed,' Don't flatter yourself'  
  
'Just tell me!'  
  
'I just got a feeling that I should help you. I don't know where from…'  
  
Then Froda, who had been leaning on the lockers, started to slide down, her arms covering her stomach. Every thing went dizzy, the human guy started to go fuzzy. She fainted. The last thing she saw was a big red eye, Looking at her. It said 'Give it to me!'  
  
________________________________________  
  
*(Ok, I made up the name, but I think you know what I mean. The type of jacket those sporty kids wear in American sitcoms)  
  
Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Please r and r! 


	2. Froda's Tears and Man fights.

Ok, I decided to put up chapter two anyway. Please review, even flames! But please let them be gentle! I renamed this because it is kinda based on my favourite song by Ash, 'Shining Light.'  
  
And the thing that happens to kavamir and Merry in this chapter, that's based on true events. Also, if any guy out there can explain why guys have man-fights please post with your review.  
  
____________________________________  
  
Estel grabbed her shoulder,' I need to know…' He shook her, and felt that she had gone limp. Xandra came up behind him. She looked at Estel, and then Froda. Her eyes got wider, and voiced everyone's opinion.  
  
'Oh shit! We need to get the nurse!'  
  
Estel picked her up and cradled her head. Thorin came over.  
  
'What's all the…' he started. Then he saw the limp body.' Oh shit! Has she got any medical jewellery? '  
  
Estel gave Thorin a look that could kill. 'Thorin, this is not the time to rob her!'  
  
'No, I mean to tell us if she's like anaemic or something. I know she's wearing something, My palms itch, and they never lie.'  
  
Estel took the polo neck off, and saw bruises up her arms. But it wasn't as scary as what she wore around he neck. It was in a simple strong chain, but it was a plain ring, made of Mytheril. Estel took it off, and put it in his pocket.  
  
'She'll get into deep shit if that's found on her. It looks really posh. ' He said. Then he said, "Why has she got bruises all up her arms?"  
  
'Take's longbottom leaf**?' suggested Ledron.  
  
'Nah, no needle marks.' Said Thorin critically, ' I think it's something different.'  
  
'Is she breathing?' said Ledron.  
  
'Yeah, she'll be fine, she just fainted, but I'm more worried about where these bruises came from…'  
  
'Why are you so concerned about this hobbit?' asked Thorin,' You don't fancy her, I can tell, so what's got into you?'  
  
' I think her ring has something to do with it, but when some-one gets you out of a months detentions, and appears to hate your guts for no good reason, then faints, it does* tend* to intrigue you.' Said Estel.  
  
Xandra came around the corner with the nurse. 'Look, I think we better put this sweater back on her.' Estel slid it on and lay her on the floor carefully.  
  
The nurse stopped when she saw the three guys sitting around the hobbit lass. She almost screamed, but she shouted instead,' Give her some room, boy's, and go to your lessons!' Xandra, Thorin and Ledron slunk off, but Estel stayed.  
  
'Go away, she needs medical attention lad, not you hanging around her!' said the nurse.  
  
'I want to stay with her, I'm her friend when she has a fainting attack, we agreed.' Lied Estel well.  
  
'Do you have any proof?' asked the nurse.  
  
'Do you really want her screaming when she walks up?' asked Estel. The nurse sighed, and said, 'Come with me.'  
  
_________________________________  
  
Froda couldn't see because everything seemed dark. She blinked. Although it was blurred, she knew that she was alive. She blinked again. A human began to come into focus, a human guy, with longish hair, a hoodie on and a soft shaven face. She sighed. Then she felt that something was wrong.  
  
She felt her neck. It was gone! Then the human held on a chain, the ring. She grabbed for it weakly, and he pulled it away. She choked out two words.  
  
'You…bastard.'  
  
The guy laughed, and said ' Nice try, but no pipe. What is this anyway? Looks expensive.' She made another grab for it. He again pulled it away.  
  
'Look, just give it back ' she whined. 'It's special to me, just give it back!'  
  
'Okay,' he said giving it to her. As she was about to grab it he pulled it away,' When you tell me all about you, tell me about this ring, and the bruises on your arms.'  
  
Froda looked at her arms. The polo neck had been removed, and her arms lay bare to the world. She hid them under the bed covers and said,' No, why should I?'  
  
'Ok,' he said cheerfully,' I'll just throw this away then.' He walked over a bin in the corner, and stood on the bit that rose the lid.  
  
'Ok, I'll talk.' She said. He grinned to himself, and walked over. He made himself confortable on the edge of the bed and waited for her to talk, playing with the ring.  
  
'Ok…I don't even know your name for valors sake!'  
  
'Well, I'm Estel, the dwarf dude who I hang with is Thorin, the pretty boy is Ledron and the blue girl is Xandra, as in Xandra the blue, my girlfriend.'  
  
'Right. Well I'm a hobbit, I've got black hair and blue eyes.' She grinned evilly.' The ring is a present from my dad, and the bruises came from when I fell over the other day. Can I have my ring back?'  
  
'You're lying.' He said.  
  
'No I'm, not!' she said, 'Just give me the ring! Dad gave it to me, and no one else. I've had to hide it from Roland for ten years, just give it back!'  
  
'Roland, who's Roland?' asked Estel.  
  
'My big Bro, OK, nothing mysterious or weird going on at all.' said Froda going hysterical,' just give me the ring!'  
  
Estel gave it back. She put it around her neck, and stroked it.  
  
'You were lying about your arms, but I believe you about the ring. Now tell me what happened to your arms. If you don't, I'll tell the nurse, and she'll tell ol' Gandy, and he'll probably phone your parents…'  
  
'No, not mum!' said Froda, even more desperate about his than the ring.  
  
'What, is your Dad abusing you?' asked Estel feeling he had finally come up with the conclusion.  
  
'NO! He's been dead for *TWELVE * YEARS you arse hole! How dare you accuse my Dad of doing that!' she said, and tried to get out of the bed. Estel pinned her down, and Froda fell back, panting.  
  
'Sorry, I didn't know… ' Started Estel. He watched a silent tear roll down her small face. He hugged her, and she cried into his shirt. She held onto him, not wanting him to leave, clinging on for dear life.  
  
Estel hugged her, refusing to let her go. He could feel her pain, anger and frustration pour slowly into him, through her fingertips. He could feel how she had wanted to cry for years, and how she wanted to scream and shout and stamp her feet for ages, but she hadn't. Now and only now could he feel why she hated people. Estel felt that she had been betrayed, and that made him angry.  
  
How could anyone allow some one to hurt her? She wasn't beautiful in the traditional way, and he didn't want her, but she seemed small and innocent. He never wanted anything or anyone to hurt his friends, and he felt the same way about Froda. Estel knew that he would do this for Kavamir if he ever needed it, but for now he would protect Froda, with his life.  
  
She let go of his sleeve and wiped her eyes. Black mascara and eyeliner ran down her face. Estel let her go, and asked,' Why did you faint?'  
  
'I didn't have any breakfast.' She said simply.  
  
'Yeah, right. And that made you faint?'  
  
'Yes?' she said simply.  
  
'I think that there's more it than that.'  
  
'Do you? How nice for you. Now stop questioning me! ' She was about to throw an onslaught of abuse at him when the nurse came in.  
  
'Ah, how are you…' the nurse hinted for her to fill in the name.  
  
'Froda. Froda Baggins.' Estel gasped. The name meant something, but he couldn't think what.  
  
'Well, are you feeling better?' she asked, hoping to get the pupil out of the infirmary.  
  
'Yes, I didn't have anything to eat this morning, and I fainted. Simple.' Froda got off the bed, and picked up her bag. The nurse signed her off and Estel and Froda left. As soon as the door closed, Froda said,' What time is it?'  
  
' It's just coming up to lunch.' Said Estel, looking at his watch. Froda turned white. Then she asked a question. 'Who does Samwise Gamgee Hang with?'  
  
'Well, us.' He said shrugging his shoulders. Then he smiled and said,' So, you join us for lunch today?'  
  
'No. I can't.' She said looking away, 'Please don't ask why, I can't tell you why. This makes every thing easier for all of us. Maybe you'll understand one day why…'  
  
___________________  
  
' …But for now even I can't say for certain' Said Estel halfway through his hot dog, 'That's what she told me. Most kids would kill to eat with us. I don't understand her. '  
  
'So if she doesn't want to hang with us, that's her loss. Why are going on about her?' said Merry.  
  
Sam stared to a table far away. He couldn't stand people talking about Froda in that way, even though they had only met for a few minutes in the rain. Sam saw her, eating alone, a small meal, being heckled by some twats. They laughed at her, all alone. Her long eyelashes whipped tears away from her face, as she realised that this school was the same as a million others she had been to before.  
  
Sam got up, excusing himself, and walked over to her table.  
  
_______________________  
  
Froda ignored the heckler. How many times had she done this before? Six, seven hundred times. Soon, every lunchtime with the same monotonous routine became one in her history.  
  
'Hey, freak girl, what's up with your face. Oh yeah, I know, it's always like that!' The stupid Hobbits laughed, and high fived one another.  
  
Suddenly, like an avenging angel, Sam appeared, and shouted at the heckling hobbits,' Fuck off you twats!'  
  
The leader turned around. 'Fuck off Sam, we're just playing with her.' He touched her skin, and she glared at him.  
  
'You love it bitch' he said, and said,' You do you fat ugly Whore…'  
  
BAMB!  
  
The leader fell over, as Sam had hit him. He had been taken by surprise, and as he sat up he felt the blood trickle down his lip like treacle. Suddenly he turned red with anger. He got up as fast as a cornered rat, and punched Sam straight in the stomach. Sam was knocked back by the blow, and sat on the floor moaning. Froda's eyes widened, and then she growled like a cat, and jumped on the leader. He was laughing when she took him down. Although she wasn't heavy by hobbit standards, she took him by surprise, and punched him in the face.  
  
She screamed and shouted, 'DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT TO SAM YOU BASTARD!' She pulled his hair, and forced his head uncomfortably up. He started to cough, and he couldn't breath. She smashed his face into the floor, and he whimpered like a kicked dog. Then she got up, kicked him and wiped off some of his blood from her polo neck.  
  
Only then did she realise the whole hall had been watching, and were shocked. She also saw Estel, Xandra, Thorin, Ledron, a guy and three other hobbits watching her, and Sam.  
  
Finally, one of the hobbits (who she had seen that morning) said, 'That'll teach those arsehole a lesson! ' She pointed at one of the guys, who was trying to walk off, 'that's the last time you try to fuck with Philippina Gamgee, Ponto Chubb! ' She ran up to him and slapped him.  
  
They decided to leave quietly.  
  
Merry went over to Froda. 'Hey, great technique.' He said, 'But a little more of the snappy one liners wouldn't go amiss.'  
  
Froda panted, as if she didn't realise he was there. Then she turned around to his face. 'Thanks,' she said shyly 'I didn't know that I was going to do that.'  
  
Estel walked up to her, and put his hand on her shoulder,' What about that offer for lunch?…..'  
  
Froda thought. What if they hated her, or want to use her like everyone else? Maybe she was just a piece of amusement, like something to be toyed with, and, ultimately, thrown away. Maybe that was the case, she reasoned, but she might as well live for now. At least that way she might have this brilliant situation for just a passing moment.  
  
'Err…Okay?' she said. They went to lunch together  
  
_____________  
  
'So, what's next period?' asked Kavamir, leaning back, rocking on his chair.  
  
'Your favourite subject Kavamir, History.' Answered Xandra. Kavamir groaned, and slumped back to the table.  
  
'Mr Greenleaf is soooo sexy!' said Xandra.  
  
'Mr Greenleaf is soooo gay!' said Pippin.  
  
'Uh-hu, where do you get that from?' asked Xandra, rolling her eyes.  
  
'I can just feel it' Said Pippin, 'and wouldn't a nice elf like him be married to another elf by now? He didn't wear a wedding ring, and he said he didn't have a girlfriend too, to some cheerleaders I saw today. They were trying to sign up for history. '  
  
'So? He might have realised that being single might get more people to sigh up to history?' said Froda.  
  
'I smell a rat, or rather I don't. I smell a * queer * rat. ' Said Pippin.  
  
'He is so not queer! ' Said Xandra,' A lot of elves spend load of time on there hair, like Ledron, but that doesn't mean they're gay!'  
  
'What just provoked that remark?' said Ledron from behind his westron textbook*.  
  
'Why are you studying Ledron? You don't have a test on westron, we don't even have westron today you muffin!' said Merry hitting Ledron over the head.  
  
'I saw Miss ' he used the miss forcefully,' Yasraiel walk past. I want her to give me a little bit of private tutoring, y'know' he did a pelvic thrust, and Kavamir laughed so much he fell off his chair. He still laughed when he lye flat on the floor and Merry stole his shoes.  
  
Merry jumped on the table, and then Kavamir got up. Merry waved the shoes in the air like trophies. Kavamir finally stumbled up and shouted, 'Give back my shoes you Fucker!'  
  
Merry laughed, and threw them across the hall. Kavamir jumped on the table, and Merry ran off, after Kavamir's shoes. Kavamir ran after him, and pulled him to the ground. Merry fell over, and dropped the shoes. Then they decided to wrestle.  
  
As the two guys rolled around on the floor together, Froda said, 'Why do straight guys have man fights? That is so gay, but they still do it?'  
  
Ledron flexed his muscles. 'To prove our manliness. And because it's so fun!'  
  
Pippin gave Froda a look that said, 'That guy is crazy, I don't know him…' and they both laughed. Then they realised that Gandalf or ol' Gandy had just entered the lunch hall.  
  
'You Fucker! Give back my shoes ' shouted Kavamir.  
  
'Never you shit faced cock meister!' shouted Merry from where Kavamir had pinned on of his arms down. Merry threw the shoes away with his free hand. Unfortunately they hit Gandalf in the face.  
  
'Merodic Brandybuck! Kavamir of the south! Get up this instant!'  
  
Kavamir and Merry got up slowly, their hands in the air. They turned around slowly. Very, very slowly.  
  
'Oh shit!' exclaimed Merry.  
  
'Mr Brandybuck, MR Kavamir, my office, this INSTANT!' shouted Gandalf. Still with their hands in the air, they filed off to his office.  
  
As they left Estel said, 'Oh Sweet Valour, they're in deep shit now! Gandalf seems kind, but I don't want to know what he'll make them do.'  
  
'Once I got into this sort of deep shit, and Gandalf made me join the cheerleader team!' said Xandra.  
  
'An experience which no-one will ever forget!' Said Estel, 'I think the jock how tried to seduce you still has the scars.'  
  
'Well, he should have treat me like a woman, not a sex object.' She said matter of factly.  
  
'And he definitely shouldn't have pinched your bum!' said Thorin. They all laughed.  
  
'I think Gandalf let you off, seeing at you're a bit of a safety hazard.' Said Estel.  
  
'A temperamental walking time bomb' added Ledron. Xandra hit Ledron over the head, and he pretended to cower in fear.  
  
'Knock it off you Pratt!' she said.  
  
''Please don't hurt me Xandra mam'm'' He said in his best hillbilly voice. She hit him again, and he got up, laughing.  
  
'I wonder how Merry and Kavamir are holding up?…' said Sam.  
  
_______________  
  
'Before we start Mr Gandalf' said Kavamir,' I'd like to say it was all Merry's fault! I promise you Mr Gandalf.'  
  
'What? You were the one who wanted to fight!' said Merry accusatorily.  
  
'Before you smudge your make up and start being catty,' said Gandalf sighing,' Would you two explain why you were fighting in my lunch hall using disgusting language?'  
  
'I swear I didn't use dwarfish sir. I don't even take it sir!'  
  
Gandalf gave him a look that could have cut reinforced rock.  
  
'Sorry sir for Kavamir's racism just then, I swear that he didn't get it from me sir' said Merry desperately.  
  
Gandalf sighed and said, 'Now, what am I going to do with you *two *?'  
  
'Make us promise never to do it again, and let us go?' asked Merry.  
  
'Smack our hand and return us to class?' asked Kavamir.  
  
'No, I think you should have a week of detentions, and I think that Mr Gimli has a few places left on the Cheerleader team….'  
  
'NO! Please no!' shouted Merry, 'Oh the hobbitity of it all!'  
  
'Please sir,' said Kavamir,' I can't join!'  
  
'Maybe you would rather I discussed this with your parents….' started Gandalf reaching for the seeing orb.  
  
'NO!' Merry and Kavamir shouted in unison.  
  
'Well, we need a compromise here,' said Gandalf,' do you have any, * feasible*, suggestions?'  
  
'We could always join some sort of club, like an outside of school club?' asked Merry.  
  
'Like one your parents would have to confirm you joining?' asked Gandalf.  
  
'NO!' said Kavamir.' Do you need anyone for a HE club or something? Or a teachers meeting, and you need some slaves?'  
  
'No, I think I've got a better suggestion than that…' said Gandalf. 'Mr Greenleaf told me something earlier today…?'  
  
________________  
  
**I'm working under the assumption that pipe weed is illegal as it is a sort of narcotic. There are various types, but basically all types are a form of drug in this fanfic.  
  
*Westron I think is the common tongue, but if it isn't, please tell me, or just pretend it is until I correct it. 


	3. A lesson in Heraldry and history+Suspisi...

Shinning light.  
  
Right, you requested a list o'characters, and she shall get a list of characters and a brief summary as well!  
  
Estel: Relative of Aragorn and Arwen. Sort of direct descended. I think they had kids, but if they didn't, he's a ranger offspring, OK? And an heir to the throne of Gondor. Estel was one of Striders many names.  
  
Thorin: A dwarf, no direct relative of Gimli's, but a dwarf never the less. Son of Swanin, a dwarf to be respected. Dad part of a family of mining community, near Moria, but not in Moria.  
  
Ledron: One of the lesser Elf families, no descendent of Legolas. Probably a distant relative of Elrond though.  
  
Xandra: A Witch, from the beginning of time, like Gandalf, but blessed with the body of a seventeen-year-old. Still in training, as lived with valor most of her life.  
  
Kavamir: Ok, my naming isn't very good, but he is a Boromir, man of the south sort of thing. As for relatives, I think it was Faramir, and his Wife, who passed on this guy.  
  
Merry and Froda: Well, Merry did have other relatives, and it was inevitable someone like the original Merry would turn up. For Froda, just read on. If you ask why he didn't change his name, I don't know Either.  
  
______________________________________  
  
They sat in history, waiting for Mr Greenleaf, Kavamir and Merry to turn up.  
  
'I wonder what period we'll be doing?' wondered Xandra aloud,' I have to admit, I have an advantage over all of you, as I have lived through most of the periods, and have access to the secret libraries of the havens and Rivendale, but it will be interesting I suppose.'  
  
'I hope it isn't the war of the rings.' Said Froda, 'All of it is lies and stories, written by some crackpot old fools. To think, a major part of Elfish and Dwarfish history is based on a book written by a couple of mad Hobbits!' she said aloud, laughing.  
  
'They weren't mad Froda.' Gasped Sam' I think you would know that more than anyone Miss *Froda Baggins *.'  
  
Froda seemed to sit alone, even though they surrounded her. She looked away from Sam and starred at the ground.  
  
'Is that your real name?' asked Thorin.  
  
'Yes.' She said. She seemed ashamed. 'My mum works under her maiden name, but it is my name.'  
  
'I though, y'know, the Baggines died out, like, long a go.' Stuttered Thorin.  
  
'Thorin, it isn't like animals you know!' said Pippin angrily, 'It's a family name! '  
  
'Yeah, but it is, sort of, interesting.' Said Ledron,' Like heraldry. My grand uncle does heraldry for some of the richer hobbits in the shire. You would be amazed how many illegitimate children and family members were cast out in the shire at that time. No one bothered to record them, but they could change everything in the way of wills and land ownership. '  
  
'Yeah, right Pretty boy' said Pippin disbelieving, 'so I could be a Took, and I wouldn't know it.'  
  
'Ahaha' said Ledron slyly, 'but it isn't as simple as that. Froda, I think the name Baggins could go back to like 50 years ago for you, 'cause your Dad could change his name.' He said proudly, 'So therefore you could in fact be a Chubb and not know it.'  
  
'As soon as I found out the stigma attached to the name I found out everything to do with the name Baggins,' Said Froda with the conviction of some-one who cannot only believes that bad luck ran in their family, but had proved it about six times,' and It does look like I am in fact a real Baggins. I can trace my family tree back to Balbo Baggins, but I know that my great granddad was in fact the illegitimate son of Bungo Baggins, who was forced to move to Bree long before the war of the rings. Not even Bilbo Baggins found out about his half Brother.'  
  
'Wow. You should turn that into a book.' Said Estel,' The Secret Life of Bungo Baggins'  
  
'Sell millions' said Froda sarcastically. 'I'm surprised you even bother to believe me. I didn't believe it myself, but it's all legitimate, or not so, as the case may be.'  
  
'I hope Kavamir and Merry are all right,' said Pippin changing the conservation with unusual tact, 'you know what Ol' Gandy is like.'  
  
'He turns people into frogs?' asked Froda, slightly sarcastically.  
  
'No, he just thinks up the worst punishments ever.' Finished Pippin.' Although the Frog one would be funny…'  
  
Mr Greenleaf came in and the class silenced. Mr Greenleaf wore a tweed jacket, with leather elbow pads, a blue shirt, and a red bow tie. He wore suit trouser and his hair was long and blond. He wore small round spectacles at the end of his nose. He walked up to the board, and wrote his name on it, squeaking the chalk. The whole class covered their ears and moaned as the chalk squeaked across the board.  
  
Then Merry and Kavamir came in and sat next to them, trying not to attract attention. Xandra and Estel had to stop themselves laughing at the expression on Kavamir and Merry's faces. Merry looked as if he had seen a ghost. Kavamir just looked shocked. They changed their expression when Froda whispered, 'So, what did he do?'  
  
'I'll tell you afterward.' Said Merry, 'It is so horrible, I don't want everyone to know.'  
  
'Stupid Faggy Greenleaf' whispered Kavamir angrily as he got out a compass and scratched something into the desk.  
  
'Mr Kavamir, would you please stop scratching "Mr Greenleaf is a fag" into the desk.' Said Mr Greenleaf.  
  
Kavamir looked up, and gave him the look of unruly youth everywhere. Mr Greenleaf smiled as Kavamir gave him The Look.  
  
'If you must say that I'm gay, will you please use the expression, 'Queer' or 'Gay'. I prefer it to 'Fag'. That just makes me sound like a cigarette end.' Said Mr Greenleaf smiling.  
  
Thorin and Ledron just looked at each other. Pippin and Sam didn't dare look at each other, and Xandra mouthed, 'Oh, sweet valour!'  
  
Pippin looked at her and whispered, 'I was right, wasn't I?'  
  
' And now it's time to start the lesson. ' Said Mr Greenleaf gracefully 'Please get out your copy of the red book and open at page 313 and read on until page 318 '  
  
The whole class got out their copies of the red book except Froda. Sam lent over to her and said, 'You can share with me Froda, You can share with me until you get your own copy.'  
  
Froda put up her hand. Mr Greenleaf signalled to her that she could speak.  
  
'Sir, Why are we learning history from children's stories? This stuff isn't true, so why learn about it? History is bases on solid facts, not a pack of lies! '  
  
'Miss…Baggins isn't it?' said Mr Greenleaf coolly ' We are learning from a children's story, because children's stories are not always wrong and because all of it happened. I know, I was there.'  
  
Mr Greenleaf looked at her with his piercing brown eyes. She was quiet, and looked at the book that Sam was sharing with her. Ten minutes later, Mr Greenleaf assumed that the class had finished reading, and said, 'Right class, before we start our notes, we better answer some questions! '  
  
Mr Greenleaf sat on his desk, legs crossed.' First question. Who can tell me how Frodo and Sam might have felt at this point in the book? You must take into consideration that they don't know what has happened to the others, they have partaken in a journey they might not survive, and that they have Gollem following them.'  
  
The class sat quietly. 'No volunteers?' said Mr Greenleaf doing puppy dog eyes. The class sat quietly, looking at each other, scared.  
  
'Ah. I'll have to pick one of you unless one of you volunteers. ' Said Mr Greenleaf warningly. The class made even less noise.  
  
'Maybe that fat cow could tell us?' said Ponto Chubb nastily. The class laughed nervously at Ponto Chubb. Estel gave him a dirty look, and Sam narrowed his eyes, as if calling a curse down upon him. Xandra and Pippin gave Ponto a look of disgust.  
  
'I think they felt sick, like how I feel when I look at you.' Said Froda with glassy brightness, 'They also felt disgust, like I feel when I look at you. They also felt that Gollem was a twat, like you…' She continued with glassy brightness.  
  
'Shut it bitch!' he shouted at her.  
  
She gave him a nasty smile and said, 'You just think you're so great because you can see the differences in people smaller and weaker than you. You need the pity, "I Pity You."' She said, leaning over to him, making sure he could hear and see each word leave her mouth.  
  
A few of the class cheered. Ponto gave her a look of disgust. She clicked her fingers and pointed at him. Someone started chanting' Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.'  
  
'Fuck you, you ugly whore!' shouted Ponto.  
  
'You wish!' said Froda coolly. A few people in the class shouted Go Froda' and a few whistled. Froda bathed in the attention, and decided to attack again. 'Not that you could even get a blind prostitute to sleep with you!'  
  
'Shut it you pig fucker! Everyone hates you, AND THAT'S 'CAUSE YOU'RE FAT AND UGLY!'  
  
'THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!' shouted Mr Greenleaf,' Honestly, I've never seen behaviour like this, even from the orcs in Mordor! Now if you will allow us to continue with the lesson, will anyone say how they might have felt?'  
  
'Scared?' came an answer from the back.  
  
'Good Miss Monad' said Mr Greenleaf leaping up and writing it on the board.  
  
' Betrayed?' said Pippin.  
  
'No, they didn't feel betrayed, but you might be able to argue that….' said Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'Alone?' said Estel.  
  
'Yes!' said Mr Greenleaf, writing that up on the board.  
  
'Fed up?' added Kavamir.  
  
'Yes!' said Mr Greenleaf, 'Good ideas, maybe Froda can think of one….' He said turning around.  
  
Froda lent back in her chair, playing with a pencil. 'I dunno.' She said giving him the look of a dissatisfied youth.  
  
'Any ideas, any at all?' He urged.  
  
'Maybe Frodo and Sam wanted to get as far as possible from over enthusiastic History teachers?' she said tilting her head to one side. The class exploded in a chorus of laughter. Mr Greenleaf sighed and said,' Miss Baggins, I want to see you after class.'  
  
'Ok.' She said calmly.  
  
Pippin and Xandra's jaws dropped. How could Froda be so calm around him? He made every girls heart flutter still, even though he was openly gay.  
  
As Mr Greenleaf made more notes on the board, Xandra grabbed Froda by the shoulder, and whispered, 'What the hell do you think you're playing at? You have to have a limit! You can't go insulting teachers if you want to last here Froda!'  
  
'I just want to test him out, find out how far I can push him. That's all. ' Said Froda quietly. 'Come on, he is a bit annoying isn't he?'  
  
'Yeah, but you don't insult him to his face until you've known him for a week. That's the rule! ' Said Pippin.  
  
'Right class, copy those notes down!' said Mr Greenleaf cheerily. The class did so. 'Your class work is…' the bell rang, 'Okay class, I want a one side essay from all of you about how Sam and Frodo felt at the start of the chapter 'The taming of Smegel' by Friday, Froda don't you dare leave the classroom' He added as she tried to leave.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, and said to Sam,' I'll be out in a few minutes. Please wait for me.'  
  
Sam nodded, and walked out with the rest of the class. When the class was empty, except for Froda and Mr Greenleaf, he walked over to her, and hinted for her to sit down at a desk. She sat down as slovenly as she possibly could. He knelt down, and put his perfectly manicured hand on his shoulder. She gave it a look of distant, and he smiled at her. 'So, what are we to do with you?' He said in a sickly sweet voice.  
  
'I don't know. I've been through nine schools, and they all have asked the same question. It seems that no-one knows.' Said Froda as coolly as she could. 'Do you know?'  
  
'No.' He said simply.  
  
'Well, can I leave now? I have better things to do than be late for my next lesson.'  
  
'I want to know why you behaved so disgracefully in my lesson.' Mr Green burst out.  
  
'I don't know, maybe because I'm a trouble child.' She said dismissively.  
  
'I think that you just want people to think that. ' He said angrily,' I can tell that you have the talent for history, I can just tell!'  
  
'Yeah, right, a talent to flunk it and go into pipe weed dealing.'  
  
'Miss Baggins, I…'Mr Greenleaf was about to say, 'I want that essay for Thursday' But he looked into the big blue eyes that he had only seen once before. On a Baggins, yes, but he never thought that he would ever see them again on anyone outside the Havens.  
  
He had found someone again. The last time he had met them, they had been hurt so badly, that they would never heal. Mr Greenleaf promised to himself that he would hide Miss Baggins, and her beautiful eyes from any hurt he could stop them seeing.  
  
'Miss Baggins, you will as punishments for your bad behaviour join my club that Mr Gimli and I have started. ' Said Mr Greenleaf, wearing a smile that he could hardly conceal.  
  
'What! What sort of club is this? One where we learn to appreciate each other's differences.' She said shuddering,' Anyway, how come that Ponto Chubb didn't get into trouble? He's as bad as me, and he started it….'  
  
'Well Miss Baggins that is one of the mysteries of life isn't it? This club is a walking club on Saturday mornings. Maybe at the end of term I'll be able to take you all on a trip.' Said Mr Greenleaf going into salesman mode,' Anyway, your friend Mr Brandybuck and Mr South have joined….'  
  
'Volunteered?' said Froda putting her head to one side.  
  
'Joined.' Said Mr Greenleaf simply.  
  
'Can I go now?' pressed Froda.  
  
'Yes. But if you don't attend this Saturday, you'll be in big trouble.' Said Mr Greenleaf standing up. Froda slung her bag on her back, but as she reached for the doorknob she heard Mr Greenleaf shout, 'Froda, don't forget that essay is for Friday, and I want to see yours specially.'  
  
Unknown to the whole world, Froda smiled at this point.  
  
___________________________________  
  
Sam waited from her outside. 'What ' e do?' he asked eagerly.  
  
'He's made me join this stupid-walking club. Hey, I bet you wouldn't guess what Merry and Kavamir's detentions are?'  
  
'NO!' he said laughing.  
  
'Yes.' Said Froda smiling, encouraging him to laugh, 'They were forced to join the walking club!'  
  
'What? Like healthy lederhosen and yodelling?' said Sam creasing up.  
  
'I don't know, but it sounds like that.' Said Froda.  
  
'Oh sweet Valour! Merry and Kavamir climbing mountains? With Mr Greenleaf and Mr Gimli? I think I'd die laughing?'  
  
'It isn't that funny,' said Froda, 'As I have to go along with them.'  
  
Sam stopped laughing. 'Oh valour I forgot! I'm so sorry.'  
  
'Sam, it's my own fault. I have to go. It's nothing.'  
  
'Well, if it helps, Estel will be doing track practise this weekend. Maybe you'll see him.'  
  
'I hope so.' Said Froda, holding his hand. Then she looked at a clock, 'Great! We're late! What do we have now?'  
  
'Looks like double maths.' Said Sam.  
  
They both laughed, and ran to Maths late. There is a time and a place for everything, but today seemed fine. Sometimes the time and place aren't as obvious as they should be.  
  
__________________________  
  
'So what do you think of Froda?' said Sam finishing his Toba***, 'Certainly one of us in a strange way.'  
  
'Definitely got the moves of a fighter.' Said Thorin, coming with a tray of drinks for his round.  
  
'She's weird! She wears black all the time!' said Ledron.  
  
'And that would mess with your style?' asked Merry. They all burst out laughing.  
  
'Well, for once, Ledron has point about something except fashion.' Said Kavamir,' I say that we dump the little squirt as soon as possible. She isn't one of us. She's weird, argumentative and has a problem with the world big enough to squash the shire with.'  
  
'And that is so different from you?' said Estel, 'Look, I think we let her join. She seems interesting.'  
  
'Yeah, in the same way having scabies is interesting.' Added Ledron,' Look, she's already in trouble, and she's only been in school for a day. Can we really risk it? We don't exactly have a good reputation, but if we befriend her and she isn't really one of us, we'll be in big trouble.'  
  
'She's one of us, I can tell.' Said Estel.  
  
'She will be, we can change people' said Xandra, 'Remember Pippin and Sam before they joined?'  
  
'I do?' said Pippin. 'I was in real danger of turning into jock until we joined. I almost joined up with Ponto's group.'  
  
'I just remember want to join you guys instantly.' Said Sam.  
  
'I still remember when it was just me and Kavamir.' said Estel,' The we picked up Merry.'  
  
'And Thorin!' added Merry opening his Toba.  
  
'After I decided to join.' Said Ledron, waving his elf-water in the air.  
  
'Then it was me and Pippin,' Sam joined in, always into talking about old times.  
  
'And then me.' Said Xandra. 'Pity Fran decided to go to that boarding school near the foothills of Ered Nimras. He would have fitted in fine right here.'  
  
'What? Fran the red?' exclaimed Pippin, 'I met him once, he wouldn't fit in. To into the occult stuff. He was one scary dude.'  
  
'Hey, that's my little brother you talkin' about!' Exclaimed Xandra.  
  
'You have to admit, there's something wrong with the boy…'  
  
'Yeah, like this Froda kid.' Interrupted Kavamir, 'There's something wrong with her…'  
  
'She's got weird marks all up her arms.' Said Thorin, swinging a root beer.  
  
'Like she was doing something weird to them…Like hitting or cutting herself,' Said Ledron, his voice getting weighed down by personal wonder.  
  
'Who could do that to themselves? Y'know hurt themselves.' Said Pippin 'That's like totally stupid. To hurt yourself to make you feel better? That's like eating chocolate on a diet, or not asking out a guy who you fancy.'  
  
'One way to find out about her,' said Estel ominously, 'Is to let her join.'  
  
'Why do you want her to join so badly?' asked Xandra getting angry, 'It's like you want her, but it's not like she's even someone at school, let alone one of us!'  
  
'I don't want her Xandra! She's just interesting…' Estel tried to explain.  
  
'Yes you do!' shouted Xandra, getting up. 'You want her, and you don't love me any more! I hate you Estel! If you don't love me any more, you should at least have the guts to say so!'  
  
Only then did she realise that most of the café they were sitting in was watching. She sat down, and the talk in the café started up again.  
  
Estel sat next to her. 'Hey Xandra, ' he stroked her long blue hair,' I still love you. I still want you. Don't see her as a threat. No one else in the world is like you, I wouldn't trade you for anything. I want you Xandra, and I'd face death for you. You know that. You could get anyone you like instead of me, and you have the whole of eternity, but for now, I want my whole life to be with you, even if I age and wither into nothing, I want you to be part of my life. I want you, ageless, immortal and forever beautiful to be with me for my short life.' Xandra was crying now,' Xandra, you beautiful temptress, I can't live without you. Please, never say that I don't love you again. I do love you, I sometimes forget that you are human, even though you aren't. Please forgive me. Removing yourself from my life would be like removing a pillar from the Gondor ruins, or like breaking me. Please don't break my souls…'  
  
'Oh Estel….' She started, and then she sobbed. They hugged. He stroked her soft hair and she stroked his longish brown hair. He tears ran silently down her face, each one a masterpiece, a diamond reflecting the light in a thousand beautiful ways. Each tear smashed down upon Estel's shoulder, and he held her closer, as if willing her to never let go. She kissed him gently on the neck, his lip trembled, as if from ecstasy running through his body. A single tear fell from his eye, but he separated, holding her hand.  
  
Xandra laughed. It was a cracked laugh, of a person who had just been crying, but she smiled weakly and whispered,' How could I ever have doubted in you?'  
  
'I don't know Xandra, but all I care about is you.' Said Estel stroking her hard. They hugged again.  
  
'So,' said Kavamir, 'Is she in or out?'  
  
Estel laughed, and said, 'Do you think we should test her?'  
  
Pippin shrugged. 'How.' she said, 'Make her sleep on several mattresses with a pea underneath? '  
  
'Well, what quality do we all have, apart from wonderful looks?' said Ledron.  
  
'Daring?' suggested Sam.  
  
'Intelligence?' added Kavamir.  
  
'Loyalty?' Suggested Xandra, with slight tact.  
  
'No, you can't test loyalty until you know what group you're in.' said Estel thinking.  
  
'I know, we could test out how suitable she is by asking her to do something we would do.' Said Pippin.  
  
'Like what?' said Thorin lazily.  
  
'I dunno, maybe, I dunno…'said Pippin stumbling.  
  
'I know!' Exclaimed Sam, hitting the table with his Toba,' Maybe we should see how she does in P.E. All of us have our sport, and if she does well in one, maybe she is one of us. I'm not saying that she'll like beat one of us, but we will just know.'  
  
'Well, we all agreed?' said Xandra.  
  
'Yes' came a chorus from the assembled people. Then Xandra banged her glass on the table. 'Meeting adjourned, let's drink!'  
  
_________________________________  
  
***As Cola is derived from Cocaine, I'm going to say that Toba is derived from Old Toby. Just go along with the flow, ok?  
  
Ok, please R and R, and if you want to flame me, please e-mail them to uraloser@loser.com . I love you people!!! Oh yeah, thank you MaragoldG for reviewing. Anyone else please review me!!!! 


	4. A Lesson with Mr Gimli and Ponto gets hi...

Shinning light  
  
Well, chapter four and although it doesn't really add to the plot, it kinda is useful, and I can't be bothered to tie up any lose ends in another way. I promise next chapter you'll get some great Legolas and Gimli stuff. I promise!  
  
Please read and review. Like most other writers, I live for reviews  
  
______________________________________  
  
Froda knew that they didn't want her to be with them. It had been nice at the time, but they found excuses not to talk to her, and now, as usual, she was on her own. If she saw Sam, or Pippin, or whatever-there-names, they avoided her. She had grown used to this, but it never made it any easier. Instead of lunch, she found refuge in the library, and she only had to see them in lessons. This was not good. When you see some-one, and your heart doesn't know weather to pump its hardest or rip itself in half, it really hurts.  
  
Shit. It was P.E next. She hated P.E. It was all cheerleaders and jocks, and people like her got left behind. She kicked her locker open, and grabbed her P.E stuff. Stupid old dwarf. She hoped he would have the sense to ignore her and let her off.  
  
She wasn't like Roland, he was the original jock and everyone loved him. She hoped like hell that they would keep to the arrangement. They didn't talk, or see each other, and they didn't reveal that they were brother and sister. She put her bag in, and felt around her neck. The ring was still on. She wondered if she should take it off, or risk it being confiscated. No, she would leave it on. It was safer on her, than in her locker.  
  
___________________________  
  
They sat outside on the running track. Pippin worried about the red dust on her white P.E clothes, but the wind blew gently across the arena. In the middle of the track were the axes and archery targets, which looked very, used. The class sat next to the targets, watching Mr Gimli.  
  
'I want no skiving, no shirking and no attitude problems in my group!' Said Mr Gimli. 'I can bring out the best sport in each of my pupils, and you will do that sport until you are the best you can achieve in a terms space of time. You may not be the best, but one of you from each group will represent our school at the middle earth interschool heats, ok? So, anyone who slacks in my lessons will learn the meaning of ''detention''. I hope that is clear. Now today we will be doing axe, archery, and running practise. Does anyone have a problem with that?'  
  
Estel, Ledron and Thorin high fived as Mr Gimli read out the lesson plan. Froda lurked at the back, wearing a second hand kit, handed down from her brother. She hid the ring further down her bra****. Pippin studied her nails. Mr Gimli rounded on her.  
  
'Girl! What's your name?'  
  
'Err… Pippin sir?' she said looking up.  
  
'Why is your hair not tied back?' He demanded.  
  
'Because I don't have anything to tie it with?' she said. The class laughed raucously.  
  
Mr Gimli did not waste any time. 'I've got a rubber band, just use it to tie back you hair.' He took the band of rubber from his wrist, and gave it to Pippin, who regarded it with distaste.  
  
'Please bring a hair tie to your next lesson Miss Gamgee.' He said with a hint of venom.  
  
'Don't worry Pippin, you can borrow one of mine' said Ledron, handing her a purple hair tie.  
  
'Thanks' she said, tying her hair back. She put the rubber band around her wrist.  
  
'I don't think I've ever seen such a motley group of people!' Barked Mr Gimli. 'YOU!' He shouted at Froda,' You in the back! What's your name?'  
  
'Froda sir. Froda Baggins!' she barked back.  
  
'And what are you planning to do?'  
  
'Fail P.E, you to shout at me and to flunk school.' The class laughed. Mr Gimli pulled a face, and then a look of good-humoured anger came over his face.  
  
'Mr Greenleaf told me about you. Are you the girl who refuses to work with anyone and puts up a fight about everything?' There was an intake of breath. They couldn't wait to hear Froda's response.  
  
'Did Mr Greenleaf tell you last night in bed,' she said sweetly, ' before or after you bummed each other?' The class erupted in laughter.  
  
'Right Miss Baggins, see me after class! We can discuss your attitude problem them!' the class when' Ohh' and 'nice comeback!'  
  
'Who is captain of the running team at the moment?' asked Mr Gimli.  
  
'Me sir' said Estel raising a hand.  
  
'Ah, young man. Who's in the team?'  
  
'Me, Kavamir and Marshal' (Marshal was an elf who was a fast runner.) Kavamir and Marshal waved at Mr Gimli slightly embarrassed. Mr Gimli gave them a look of disbelief, and said, 'So, what are your times?'  
  
'Mine is 12.64 seconds for 100 metres' said Estel.  
  
'Mine is 13 exactly for 100 metres.' Said Kavamir.  
  
'Mine is 14.54 for 100 metres.' Said Marshal sheepishly.  
  
'You're an elf! Aren't you meant to be able to run longer and faster than anyone else?' said Mr Gimli.  
  
'I'm a distance runner. Estel is into sprints and Kavamir is backup.' Explained Marshal.  
  
'The team is so small!' exclaimed Mr Gimli,' I have to do something about it. Does anyone know who is the head of the Axe team?'  
  
'Thorin sir!' shouted a voice at the back. Thorin stood up, and did a few acrobatics with the axe.  
  
'Good work lad! Just a little work on technique, and we could have you best in the country.'  
  
Thorin rolled his eyes. Mr Gimli walked up to him, and held the axe.' Nice balance, good grip, well polished. Is this yours lad?'  
  
'Yep!' said Thorin proudly,' Handed down from my Mum. It had decapitated many an orc in its time. Not an axe to be used down in a mine though sir.'  
  
Mr Gimli weighed it in his hands, and ran his finger down the blade. Then he gave it back to Thorin.' Take good care of it Lad. It's a nice axe. Archery team?'  
  
'Me, sir, Ledron' he said standing up. He brought out his bow, and slipped the arrow in place instantly. Mr Gimli walked around him, examining his stance critically.  
  
'Nice stance, good upper body strength. How good's your aim?' Ledron let the arrow go. It flew into the distance. Mr Gimli tutted and then a faint Plink was heard far off. The arrow headed back, like a speeding bullet. It hit a point in the track, which put it on course, and hit one of the targets, pushing it over. The class cheered at this spectacle.  
  
'Too much showing off' said Mr Gimli critically, 'but a nice shot.' He patted the elf on the shoulder.  
  
'I bet you want to feel his bow!' shouted Ponto.  
  
'Yeah, he can feel your axe any time!' shouted some one else. Ponto's minions started to laugh uncontrollably. A few people tuttered nervously.  
  
Mr Gimli turned around slowly, and shouted,' WHO JUST SAID THAT! I WANT A NAME!'  
  
'Froda Baggins' shouted Ponto, laughing,' although she doesn't interest you!'  
  
'She wouldn't interest me either!' shouted his best mate Leo, 'She's enough to make any man queer.' They burst out laughing again.  
  
Froda could feel herself sinking in the ground. She knew that teachers were to stupid to recognise different voices, and that she would not only be in enough trouble to be excluded, she was already in trouble with Mr Gimli.  
  
'Right young lady, if you want it that way, you can have a detention today after school!' said Mr Gimli, irate. Froda narrowed her eyes and scowled. Bastard! Why was everything her fault? She had asked for it before, but not now. She hadn't said that. She wasn't homophobic, unlike Mr Ponto Chubb. She had taken it too far though. The class got up, sorted into groups. Shit! She hadn't been listening. She walked to the running team on the basis that she knew that she was bad at running, so therefore she would have to do that first.  
  
'Err, Right, ' started Estel,' First heats are like for the hobbits. So if you give me your name's I'll sort you into heats. The top six runners overall after all the heats will be given a place in the running team, ok?'  
  
The group of milling people nodded and agreed. Froda stood at the back of the crowd, waiting for her name to be called out.  
  
Estel looked rather sheepish, standing at the front, reading out the heats. 'Err, heat number one, Ponto, Daisy, Froda and Garadoc, please go to your marks. '  
  
They lined up. Froda realised that no one was looking at her, even her arms. They were longing at Ponto, the favourite to win. He grinned nastily at her, and looked away, as if she wasn't worth talking to.  
  
She looked at the track. Why was she so sure she was going to lose? She had good legs, for a hobbit, she had run at great speed in the past, like all those times Roland had been chasing her. Sometimes not fast enough. He was very fast. But, she reasoned, why shouldn't she be fast, like Roland, it was in her blood. She saw the track. Some red dust danced on the white lines. She could feel the adrenaline seep into her blood.  
  
'See you at the finishing line loser.' Said Ponto,' We'll probably have to wait ages to see your fat arse reach the line.'  
  
'Eat my dust Ponto,' she said winking,' All that is gold, does not glitter.'  
  
'On your marks,' shouted Kavamir. The four competitors automatically lent down. Except Froda, who just wound herself up tighter, which made her lean forward.  
  
'Get set' he shouted. Pause.' GO!' there was a thunder of feet and a click of watches at the finishing line.  
  
Froda ran. She could already feel the wind in her hair and the g forces on her frame. She could honestly say that she had never run like this, except when being chased by Roland. She could feel his breath on her neck, and her screams being choked in her throat. She could almost feel his hands trying to reach around her neck.  
  
She ran faster, lactic acid building up in her legs. She felt the ring. It was safe. She felt another burst of speed and ran. She didn't look back, she always knew better than to do that when Roland was after her.  
  
She could hear Ponto taunt her, but it was an echo, as if of a distant memory. All she could here was Roland, his voice oozing into her ear, poisoning her whole body. She breathed in deeply, and kept running. That was always necessary in these matters. Run, run and never look back.  
  
______________  
  
Xandra watched astounded at the finishing line. She knew that Froda had something about her, something special, but this was just ridiculous! The track was long, about 200 metres, but no hobbit should have got that far in 3 seconds. The school record for a hobbit was 60 seconds. That was soon to be broken at this rate.  
  
__________________  
  
Merry burst into Axe skills.  
  
'What the?…' started Thorin.  
  
Merry panted. 'I got here as fast As I could, but it looks as if some one is going to beat Ponto!'  
  
The class looked at one another. Then they ran out.  
  
___________________  
  
Marshal burst into Archery.  
  
Ledron was about to fire the arrow, when Marshal shouted, 'Some one is about to beat Ponto! Come quick!' He ran out again.  
  
Ledron put his arrow away, and ran out. The class followed him.  
  
_________________________  
  
  
  
Estel stood next to Xandra. His mouth was hanging open. 'Oh sweet Valour!' he whispered.  
  
The small, unnoticed body of Froda can hurtling down the track. Estel had loads of experience in running, and he knew that if she kept up at that Speed, she could hurt herself. Or was that the point? He didn't care, but her knew who was keeping her time. It was him. She was halfway around the track, and all of the others had hardly reached a quarter of the way around the track.  
  
Ponto was trying to catch up, but he failed. Not even he was that stupid to try to keep up with her unless it was important. But what worried Estel was the expression on her face. It should have been an expression of determination, or one of triumph, but it was one of fear. Fear so raw that it scared him, just thinking that something that could scare her that much.  
  
He saw Ledron and Thorin arrive. They watched with amazement as she beat her way past them, and then they did something no one ever thought that they would do, except up to 20 seconds ago. They cheered for her.  
  
'GO FROOOOOOOOOODAAAAAAAAA!' shouted Ledron raucously.  
  
'You go girl!' screamed Pippin excitedly.  
  
Thorin jumped up and down in excitement.' FRooooooDAAA!' he screamed, 'Beat that twat Ponto!'  
  
'FRODA FRODA FRODA FRODA FRODA FRODA FRODA FRODAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA' screamed Xandra, jumping up and down, whooping for joy. 'YOU CAN MAKE IT! JUST RUN! RUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!'  
  
Estel joined in. 'FRODA, FRODAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'  
  
______________  
  
  
  
She ran on faster. She couldn't stop. She could already here the mocking chant of her loss, but if she stopped now, she would let Roland win. Then she tripped over her feet. She felt forward, adding to the amount of scars and bruises as she skidded. She couldn't win now, not after falling over, but some how she was being forced onward…..  
  
__________________  
  
'Estel, , she's fallen over and I don't think she can win!' said Xandra urgently.  
  
The hopes of the class had fallen, but they stayed to see her fail. Just to be certain. Something was wrong, she was being propelled forward, very fast. She looked in excruciating fear, or was it pain? But she skidded along the dust and screaming, half in fear, half in pain, she raised her arm and broke the ribbon.  
  
She had won.  
  
The crowd exploded in cheer. This was new, they had never seen anyone do it before. Many a hobbit had sworn to beat Ponto, but, even by a close hair, had they ever done it. Ledron leap in the air, literally 10 feet, and hollered. Thorin just screamed in delight.  
  
Ponto and the other racers reached the finish line, but no one was bothering to keep their times. Froda, a weird freak, had beaten Ponto, a cool guy who most people wanted to be associated.  
  
Froda, on the ground, rolled over like an obedient dog. She gave out a low moan, and felt the ring about her neck. Using all her strength she pulled her body up on all fours. He elbows felt as if they were on fire. She looked at one of them. There was a little blood amongst scuffmarks. Her throat felt as if it were on fire, breathing was becoming quiet painful as her chest closed up. She couldn't here anyone else, but she could vaguely see Sam running towards her. He head was spinning and she cried, as she couldn't breathe. She tried to get up, but fell down again, like a baby.  
  
When she fell over again, she lay on her face. She got up again on her hands and knees and coughed. She coughed up some phlegm.  
  
Sam skidded to halt, and embraced her. He helped her up. She was shaking like a leaf, and couldn't breathe properly. Sam led her to a bench near by, and sat her down. She was just trying to breathe, she couldn't talk. He hit her gently on the back, trying to get rid of some of the stuff in her throat. She was trembling near tears. Her skin was cold, from sweat and running.  
  
She breathed in slowly, and out again, but she lent forward, and something silver on a chain fell out again. Sam stared at it. Then he realised that Mr Gimli was running over the field, looking angrier than before if that was possible. Estel came over to her.  
  
'Great run!' he grinned.  
  
Xandra followed him. 'Hey Froda, you did great!' she said.  
  
Froda looked up. She breathed in and said hoarsely,' Thanks!'  
  
Ledron and Thorin were totally crazy with joy. They practically sang walking across the field to Froda. Ledron shouted across the field, 'WHO'S THE DADDY NOW FRODA!? YOU!!!!!'  
  
'FRODA, YOU BEAUTY! ' Shouted Thorin.  
  
'What's my time?' asked Froda. Estel looked at his watch. ' About…43.89 seconds for 200 metres.'  
  
'Is that good?' she asked, her throat killing her.  
  
'You did great Froda,' said Xandra.  
  
'You ok Froda?' asked Sam.  
  
'I'll be fine' she said, 'Just don't ask me to do anything strenuous for at least five minutes, like get up.' She lent over and hugged him. He hugged her back.  
  
Then Mr Gimli was in front of her. 'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!' he shouted at her.  
  
Froda trembled again. Usually she didn't stand for that shit, but she was too tired to protest or think of a comeback. It would be whole lots easier to listen to him have a go at her. She waited, but he didn't say anything. Finally he said, 'Well, I'm waiting…'  
  
She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. Gimli gasped. Although he wasn't into giving preferential treatment to anyone (Except Legolas of course), he couldn't help thinking…. Maybe that was what Legolas was talking about the other night. His heart softened. He pulled some of the hair out of her eyes and shouted,' Sam, go away, she doesn't need crowding! '**'  
  
He said in a voice so soft, 'What was that all about then eh? What made you try to do that? You could have seriously hurt yourself.'  
  
'To late Sir, I think I have' she said, half laughing, half choking on fear and exhaustion.  
  
'Come on, the best thing for you is to walk about, get some air.' He said kindly*****. She got up, and he walked her away.  
  
He noticed her arms. He hadn't noticed them before, but they were bruised. Some of them were pretty old, and some of them were only a few days old. It looked at if someone had been trying to bash her, or hold her back. As if they wanted to talk something away from her, something that was to precious to let go. When he was far from the other pupils, he talked to her.  
  
'You all right now?' he asked.  
  
'Yeah' she said. She was too tired to walk any more. Her head was spinning, and she didn't really understand what was going on fully. She shook, and she wanted to sit down.  
  
'What made you do that? You aren't a trained runner, I can tell.'  
  
'Don't know sir.' She knew all right, but to tell anyone would be stupid.  
  
'And that speed. I don't think I've ever known a hobbit reach that speed.'  
  
'Don't know sir.'  
  
'Do you want me to call your mum….'  
  
'NO!' she said. Then she calmed down and said, 'Maybe not. No need to worry her.'  
  
Gimli saw something on a chain around her neck. It was silver, and his dwarfish palms could tell that it was something expensive. He almost reached out for it, when a horrible image came across his mind. A picture of an eye. A flaming red eye, an eye full of the fire of rage and it seemed to be looking for something. It had lost something, the something that could let it come to power again. He stopped.  
  
Oh dear. He recognised the eye. He had seen it over a hundred years ago and at the time seeing it never again would be to soon. This was not good, but hadn't it been destroyed? Oh dammit. Gandalf would know more, but would he want to help? He had let Radagas take over the order, so would Gandalf still be interested in this sort of thing? He would be when he found out.  
  
'Froda?' he said, trying not to scare her.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Are you sure you should be wearing that ring?'  
  
Froda looked at it, and it was gone. 'What ring?' she said innocently. She must have been able to make it disappear, or maybe it could disappear itself when it felt the need to.  
  
  
  
Gimli should have known better. Froda had obviously picked up some skill that could hide the ring effectively, or she wouldn't have held onto it for so long.  
  
He walked Froda back to the students. He had to talk to Legolas, and about more things than this ring.  
  
________________  
  
****Bra's are useful in that way. Like a couple of extra pockets, only you really shouldn't show them off in public.  
  
*****This is based on a true story, including myself. The teacher really made me get up and walk around the track to get me to breathe properly. I Promise you I'm not kidding, ask Sai queen, she'll vouch for me. It didn't work. At all.  
  
**It's something my teacher say when one of us gets hurt, ok (Usually during Geography, don't ask me why) and because of their Homophobia. 


	5. The ring is discovered a whole lot of ot...

Chapter 6-The ring is discovered a whole lot of other things  
  
I'd like to thank everyone whose enjoyed this story and everyone who has written all their nice reviews! Please, please, please review if you are reading this, as I like all reviews apart from just personal abuse ones.  
  
I'd also like to thank MaragoldG for sending me all that info. Thanks!  
  
Also if you're getting board with the whole school setting thing, I've moved on faster than all of my other stories to the actual adventure. Also, if you would like to suggest any things to happen between characters, either my made up ones or the actual ones, I'd be please as in the havens Frodo and Froda will meet, Estel will meet Elrond, his great, great, great grand granddad and Sam and Pippin will meet their great, great, great, great granddad as well.  
  
Anything will be welcome, as I have some ideas, but two hundred heads are better than one.  
  
_______________________________  
  
Froda put her P.E Kit away. She had just become her own worst nightmare. She was now officially a jock. She was on the hobbit division of the running team. But, unlike most of her nightmares, this felt good. She actually felt good! She had been given her own jacket today! She had not only become a jock in 43.89 seconds, she had also beaten Ponto Chubb, gained the respect of people who would have never talked to her before and Sam had talked to her after her win.  
  
He had been concerned by her condition after the run, and when she had returned with Mr Gimli, he had been there to stay with her during the whole heats, and made sure that she was all right. If she didn't know better, she would say that he liked her, as much as she loved him.  
  
She noticed his Letterman jacket (Thank you MaragoldG!) and asked how he got it, even though he wasn't in the running, axe or Archery team. She laughed, a sound that made her heart run fast, and told her that he was in the sword team, as captain, but Estel was pretty good too.  
  
He told her a million and one things and nothing. He watched the races with her and told her about himself and Pippin, his sister. Sam told her about their home, Bag end, and how their rooms hadn't changed since one hundred years ago. He told her how they were the oldest of six and how his dad was a doctor.  
  
Froda laughed and told him that her Mum was in the partnership of Sackvillie (Her maiden name) and Robinson. She did most of the running about in the business, dealing from anything from a divorce to wills. Sam had never heard of divorces. Froda tried to explain, but Sam couldn't grasp the concept. As far as he was concerned, if you get married, that was the end. Froda had never seen such a country bumpkin, but something about him…. She no longer cared about that. After the heats, Merry had come up to her and congratulated her for the hundredth time, and gave her a card.  
  
She put the card back into her bag. It was tonight. She was told that it didn't matter what she wore, as long as she was ready for a good time.  
  
Then she noticed the essay in the back of her locker. Oh sweet Fucking Valer! She had forgotten to give it in! She grabbed it and walked to Mr Greenleaf's classroom. She was nearly there when she heard raised voices inside. She hid outside the door and listened in.  
  
'I can't believe you told the pupils about us! Shouted Mr Gimli,' We needed a new start here, and all I've had from out sixth form is innuendo! How could you Legolas?'  
  
'Gimli, if you can't even tell other people you're gay, how can you accept it yourself?' said Mr Greenleaf, 'It's almost as if you're ashamed of us!'  
  
'Legolas, I'm not ashamed….'  
  
'Yes you are! I love you Gimli and you love me, what's wrong with that? Sam and Frodo loved one another….'  
  
'But they didn't go off and have relationships behind Rose's back! They weren't gay, they were like brothers! That's different!'  
  
'I can't believe your saying this!' shouted Mr Greenleaf, his hands over his ears, 'You don't love me any more! I can tell. Who is he, who IS he?'  
  
'Legolas my love, I have eyes for no one but you, but if the pupils find out how far we've gone….'  
  
'Damn the pupils!' he shouted, turning around. 'Who care's what they know? About 10% of them are gay anyway, so who really give's a Damn?'  
  
'I do Legolas. Their comments hurt me. they cut so deep. Like an axe into deep rock. ' Said Mr Gimli, almost in tears. 'I'm not as strong as you Legolas, you of all people should know that.'  
  
'Oh Gimli, I never realised. ' Legolas bent down and hugged Gimli, himself in tears. 'I'm so sorry. I never realised how it hurt you. I'm so used to the elf's who are themselves gay, I never remembered how bashful dwarfs are. They don't even reveal their own sexes.'  
  
'I know Legolas, but you know how male I am. You know very much so.'  
  
'I definitely do Gimli. ' Said Mr Greenleaf slyly, 'I really do.' Legolas kissed him, and suddenly their cares flew away. Then Mr Gimli went businesslike again. 'Legolas, there is something of even greater importance to talk to you about. You know that young hobbit girl you told me of the other night….'  
  
'Yes Gimli, I remember. She still hasn't given in her essay' Froda felt a pang of guilt. She shouldn't be there, she should have just forgotten about the essay.  
  
'Well, would you think me mad if I told you there was another ring.'  
  
'Another ring? 'Said Legolas, almost to himself.  
  
'Yes, I saw it today in class. I was about to confiscate it when I had, such a strange a strange feeling, as if the eye were watching me. The flaming eye of Sauron.'  
  
'Are you sure? It could have been sunstroke or something like that.'  
  
'No, it was definitely the eye, just trust me on this….'  
  
'There was only one master ring, and that was destroyed by Frodo. End of story!' said Mr Greenleaf, covering his ears again.  
  
'We have to destroy this ring' said Gimli ominously, 'Or Sauron will destroy us!'  
  
'That ring DESTROYED Frodo!' shouted Mr Greenleaf, on the verge of tears' He lost a finger to it. He lost his life and happiness to it! It practically robbed him of his mind! He couldn't stop thinking about it. He's in the havens now, and that keep's him happy, until he LEAVES the havens. Then what? I am not having another person destroyed for blasted rings! You love Frodo as much as I do, would you put him through that all again?'  
  
'No, I just think that if we don't destroy the ring, Sauron will return, and destroy all we hold dear. His power may even reach the havens!' shouted Mr Gimli angrily.' Legolas, you are the only one I can trust on this matter, apart from Gandalf, but if he refuses to help, whom can I turn to? If not you, who?'  
  
'Please Gimli, don't make me think about that again. We lost Boromir, we lost Frodo, and for a time we lost Gandalf. I can't bear it!'  
  
'But we met each other.' Said Gimli lovingly ' That is the only good thing the ring did and I almost want to thank the ring for that.'  
  
Mr Greenleaf broke down crying, and held Gimli. The dwarf conforted the crying elf, stroking his hair. Mr Greenleaf let out a few tortured sobs as Gimli quietened him and held him close. 'Come on Legolas, I though you were the strong one.'  
  
'I'm not so strong, I just deal with things easier than you do. ' Said Mr Greenleaf between sobs. He was quiet for a moment, then said. 'I'm so sorry I accused you of not loving me.' Then he burst into tears again.  
  
'I'm sorry for making you think about the ring again, but I need all the support you can give me.' Said Gimli, trying to pull both of them together. Gimli held him at arm length and looked into Mr Greenleaf's big brown eyes. 'Now Legolas, are you going to stop being upset? I need to work on some essays I was given today. You need to get some work done before we go home tonight.' He said lovingly.  
  
'Yeah, ok.' Said Mr Greenleaf wiping away a tear.  
  
'Be a good boy for me said Mr Gimli. They hugged again, and Mr Gimli left. He didn't notice Froda hiding next to the door. She stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was going on. Mr Gimli had seen the ring. Dammit, she shouldn't have been so stupid as to wear it on the track. Had anyone else see it? No, they couldn't have, she reassured herself.  
  
She breathed in deeply and knocked on the door. 'Come in.' croaked Mr Greenleaf's voice from inside. Froda could feel that he was still upset. She opened the door quietly and came in cautiously. Mr Greenleaf looked up from some essays. His face was red and tears stained, Froda felt guilty that she had listened in more than ever now, but she proceeded to his desk anyway.  
  
'Err…I've got you that essay you wanted.' She said in a scared voice.  
  
'Oh, thank you Miss Baggins.' He said distractedly, getting a handkerchief out, wiping his face. She stared at him for a split second. She turned around sharply. She began to walk to the door again when Mr Greenleaf called out, 'Miss Baggins, are you wearing non permitted jewellery?'  
  
Froda turned around. 'Sir?'  
  
'Just, show me it Froda, I promise I won't hurt you.'  
  
She took it off her neck, and gave it to Mr Greenleaf. He held it cautiously by the chain. He looked at it, glinting evilly in the light. Hand shaking, he tried to touch it.  
  
Images flashed through his head. The eye, Frodo in the havens, Gimli in Moria finding out Balin was dead, finding Pippin underneath all those dead bodies, the armies if orcs attacking helm deep, burying Boromir and the visiting Sam Gamgee after Rose died.  
  
He dropped the ring on the desk with a clatter. Froda looked at him, wide eyed, and picked up the ring quickly. He swallowed, and hyperventilated.  
  
Froda ran towards the door. She disappeared, and ran out. She obviously had put on the ring. He ran out, and shouted in the hall, 'Froda, Froda, where are you? We need to talk? What's that ring your wearing? Come back! I won't hurt you!'  
  
He shouted in vain, as she was gone. He slid down to his knees and although Gimli hated him to get upset, he cried again. Why did it always have to come back? He detested the ring. Somehow Gimli hadn't been affected by its sadness, but he had. Sometimes, when Gimli had been away he had cried himself to sleep about it. He hated the rings of power, every single last one of them!  
  
______________  
  
Froda took the ring off when she reached her locker again. She smiled, flicked it in the air and caught it again. She put it in her pocket and lent against the wall. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly and saw Mr Gimli behind her. She gulped, and remembered her detention. By the expression on her face, he seemed to as well.  
  
'Miss Baggins, would you accompany me to Mr Gandalf's office please?' he said in a voice so threatening that she trembled. He felt the tremble, and said, 'Don't worry, your not in trouble.' She doubted that. She marched with Mr Gimli to Ol' Gandys office. Mr Gimli opened the door forcefully, and almost pushed her in. 'This is the girl you wanted to see Gandalf' he said simply.  
  
'Ok, you may leave us Mr Gimli.' He said. Mr Gimli gave her a look that said, "If you give him any trouble you're dead" and left closing the door quietly.  
  
'Ah, Miss Baggins. I think we need to have a little talk.' He said, Leaning forward in the way of all left wing liberal headmasters when they face a pupil whom needs a good thrashing by the standards of most other teachers. This conversation Froda had got accustomed to, as she was nearly always on the receiving end. She looked at the floor, her feet dangling. This office had obviously been made for people over five foot high. She pulled some hair out of her hair, and looked at him with her best "What ya got?" face.  
  
'Miss Baggins, I have received over your five days here over twenty-five complains about you and your behaviour.' He said bringing out her permanent record and opened it. He brought out a pair of glasses and read out a few examples. 'From "Miss Lester: Threatening behaviour to other pupils and giving them funny looks."'  
  
'Please sir, she's had it in for me from day one…' she started.  
  
Gandalf sighed. 'Miss Baggins,' he said sighing ' she's the librarian. She shouldn't have to file complains like that against pupils.'  
  
Froda looked at him slightly sorrowfully. Then he read another example. 'Argumentative behaviour, very threatening when asked why homework had not been given in. That one was from Mr Grant. '  
  
'I had given it in. I just got angry when she accused me of not giving it in.' interrupted Froda.  
  
'According to this, you continued to throw abuse and erasers at her.' Said Gandalf as coolly as he dared.  
  
'It was only the one eraser, and I was trying to control myself' Gandalf raised an eyebrow. 'I would have thrown a chair at her otherwise.' Filled in Froda. Gandalf risked a grin.  
  
Gandalf looked at the record again. 'According to Mr Gimli you have been making rather untasteful remarks about his and Mr Greenleaf's sexuality and you have had a very bad attitude problem with all the teachers.'  
  
'What? You mean that I've been calling them Gay? They are gay!' said Froda.  
  
'I know you don't like them but….'  
  
'No, I really mean it, they are in fact homosexuals. Do you know this?' She said, seriously considering hitting the man's head to find out if it actually had something in it.  
  
'I am aware of the nature of their relationship, yes,' Began Gandalf, 'But I think some of the things you have said are unnecessary. '  
  
Froda looked at the ground. She felt the ring in her pocket. This situation was getting more tedious by the second. Should she disappear? It would certainly puzzle him. She decided against it, and took her hand out of her pocket. She looked at Gandalf, and put her dissatisfied youth look on again.  
  
'So, apart from reading me my record, what'eya want?' she said, looking a little too smug.  
  
'I want to see if we can solve whatever problem you seem to have.' He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She gave it a look of disgust and tried to move away. 'There's no way out Froda, I'm not the only one who's seen the ring…'  
  
_______________________________  
  
Gimli walked back to Legolas's classroom, as he felt guilty about leaving him alone. When he arrived, he hardly expected to see the beautiful elf in floods of tears siting on the floor outside his classroom. Gimli ran to him, and skidded down to his knees. Legolas's face was red and puffy as he cried uncontrollably. His breathing was to shot, he was a mess and Gimli had never felt himself realise how much he cared for him. Legolas sobbed and choked,' Oh Gimli. * Sob* I * Gulp* I Saw *sob* it all* Choke* in the *pause * ring!'  
  
Gimli sat next to him and hugged him. His diaphragm moved oddly under his skin as he cried. Legolas cried into his shoulder. Legolas sobbed and choked. Gimli rubbed his back, and tried to soothe him like a mother soothes a child. Legolas choked, 'Gimli *choke * I'm so * sob* Sorry. I'm sorry for Everything.'  
  
He burst into a new flood of tears, and Gimli sat there, helpless next to him, and if there's one thing a Dwarf hates, it's to be helpless. Legolas got a new burst of strength and he shouted, the tears choking every word,' VALOR, I HATE EVERY STUPID RING!' before he couldn't talk any more.  
  
Gimli held him close. 'Come on Legolas, just cry. I don't judge you. I never could. I love you too much.'  
  
Legolas looked him in the eye and said, 'I saw it in the ring Gimli *cough * I saw Boromir an' Pippin and Sam an' *Gollem * the eye…' he tried to say.  
  
'Don't try to talk Legolas. I'll be here when you're ready. I will never leave you. Don't rush it. ' Legolas cried harder, but he held the dwarf in a hard hug. He was sure that he would never leave him. Gimli stroked his hair. 'Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, don't worry, I'll protect from anything as long as I have breath in my body. Don't worry my beautiful elf, I shall be your rock, and you shall be my beautiful gold.'  
  
Legolas grinned in the tears. He held the dwarf harder and they cried together  
  
________________________  
  
'Ring, what ring?' Said Froda, managing to back away.  
  
'Miss Baggins, do not lie to me!' Said Gandalf, growing larger,' You possess a certain ring which is more than it seems!'  
  
'I don't know what you're talking about,' stuttered Froda.  
  
'Show me the ring you keep around your neck Miss Baggins, or you will regret the consequences!' Shouted Gandalf. She gulped and grabbed the chain around her neck. She slipped it over her head and held it out, offering it to him.  
  
'Do not offer it to me Froda…'  
  
'What? I thought you wanted to confiscate it! You can't confiscate it if you won't take it from me.' She said, forcefully.  
  
'Miss Baggins, where did you get this ring?' He asked, looking at it carefully.  
  
'It was my dad's. They found it in his pockets when he died. They sent his stuff back to us after they had found his body.'  
  
'Where would a hobbit get such a thing….'Started Gandalf, then broke off, 'Miss Baggins, do you know if there is anything written on this ring?'  
  
'Yes, ' she said, ' it shows some elfish that I don't understand.' She held it so he could see it easier. He looked at it, getting more worried by the minute.  
  
He examined the writing, then, standing up he said, 'Miss Baggins, that is no trinket that you hold. It reads in the black tongue, 'The one ring to blind them all, and in the darkness bind them.' Do you have any idea how your father might have found this?'  
  
'He was trying to bring down an army of orcs near Gondor, where we lived for a while.' She explained ' I was told that another one of the soldiers wore that until his body was found a few days earlier. He wanted Dad to have it. '  
  
'Do you know who he was?' asked Gandalf.  
  
'Not exactly, but I know that he was a man with long brown hair and eyes like fire. I think his name was 'Thomas.' Dad always talked of him favourably. ' Said Froda unusually.  
  
'What do you know of the ring Froda? Tell me about the ring!' Gandalf said urgently.  
  
'All I know is that it's made of Mithril and it can make me disappear. I don't use it often. I've had it since I was nine.'  
  
'You look older than nine,' said Gandalf feverishly, 'Maybe it isn't the ring I think it is, maybe just a copy made for sport….'  
  
'Look, if you're going to question me like this, at least tell me what you're going on about! I'm not answering another question until you explain yourself.' She said, folding her arms and putting the ring in her pocket.  
  
'Miss Baggins, I have a deep suspicion that you have in your possession one of the rings of power.' Said Gandalf in a voice so foreboding that it could make continents quake.  
  
'Even more reason to keep it.' She said.  
  
'Miss Baggins, this ring has the power to bring Sauron back. ' Said Gandalf getting angry, 'It must be destroyed!'  
  
'Sauron? He's dead! He can't come back!' Said Froda, unbelievingly.  
  
'By the powers coming back to Mordor, he is not as dead as he seems. There have been movements of orcs, trolls and other evils to the lands of Mordor.' Explained Gandalf.  
  
'What? I thought that the ring was destroyed over a hundred years ago. The ring that Sauron could wield against the free peoples and turn the land to darkness.' Said Froda, confused.  
  
'From what I heard Miss Baggins, I heard that you thought it wasn't true.'  
  
'It is, I know it is, but I hoped that maybe it wasn't.' she said, crestfallen.  
  
'But that isn't the point.' Said Gandalf, 'The ring cannot stay in the Shire. It has to go, or armies of Orcs will come and destroy us.'  
  
'What? This is stupid!'  
  
'Miss Baggins, you will have to travel to the havens, to consult Elrond. He knows more of these matters than I do. I will send some one to see Radagas, the head of the white council.'  
  
'About this possibly not magic ring?' said Froda, unimpressed.' I thought people had better things to do….'  
  
'Miss Baggins, this is no laughing matter! Tomorrow you will go to the havens.'  
  
'How?' she asked, 'I don't know the way, I can't defend myself against the things you speak of and I have no idea about who to trust and not.'  
  
'You will go with the walking club. As of now there are only three members, and to destroy the ring will be pretty easy. It'll take little under a month their and back. All the parents need do is sign a release form.'  
  
'So what'll the other members do?' she asked. 'I think they'll notice something isn't quiet right if they have to travel to get rid of a ring.'  
  
'They will never know of the ring.' He answered, 'As you will not tell them of it.'  
  
'What about the teachers? Do they know?'  
  
'They will. I made the release forms earlier today to give out. Everyone in the club, except you have them. ' He handed her a piece of paper.  
  
'So, I know what I must do. ' She said sadly. 'I will travel tomorrow to the havens with Mr Gimli and Mr Greenleaf. Man, that's not how I thought I'd be spending my first month at school.'  
  
'I know. No one expects this sort of thing to happen to them until it does,' said Gandalf sympathetically.  
  
'I was expecting to spent my first month in detention.' She said totally seriously.  
  
_______________________  
  
Okay, chapter 6. I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far, as it's going to get bumpier! All reviews are welcome apart from personal abuse that's just nasty.  
  
(Pause)  
  
PLEASE JUST REVIEW GOD DAMMIT!  
  
(Pant pant) Sorry, that just slipped out somehow. 


	6. A short interlued

Chapter 6: A short interlude  
  
Ok, this is a very short chapter, but it has a purpose. There's going to be more very short chapters like this with only on aim in mind. Please R and R as per usual and thanks for the r  
  
____________________________  
  
She left his office. She walked down the hall a few feet, thinking when someone jumped out behind her and put there hand on her shoulders. She squealed. She turned around to see Sam grinned from ear to ear.  
  
'Sam, where the hell have you come from?' She said, almost laughing.  
  
'I forgot my books, so I came back. Then I saw you leaving his office. I had to surprise you.' He said, still grinning like a maniac.  
  
'Anything else?' she said grinning as well as she played with her hair.  
  
'I also have good news for you.' He said, playing it pretty cool, 'We all joined the walking club.'  
  
'What?' she exclaimed. This couldn't be happening. She finds out in one day that she's a death trap, and then she gets friends? She also gets Sam coming with her for a month, which is nice, of course, but she didn't want to risk his life. How could he?  
  
'Come on Froda, it isn't that bad. Anyway, it's like you don't want us to come with you or something.' She tried to argue, but he interrupted, 'Maybe you don't, maybe you hate us, but we'll be there for Merry and Kavamir, even if you don't want us to be there for you.'  
  
'I'm sorry, I just don't think it's your scene…'  
  
'Froda, we're coming, weather you like it or not!' God that girl is so infuriating! Thought Sam, When you think she likes you, she turns out to hate you. When you fell most certain who she is, she turns out to be some one else. He wanted her, but…. how can you want some one who won't stay the same person for five minutes! He wanted to be with her, but…. she didn't want him. She teased him, like a cat playing with a mouse.  
  
'See ya tomorrow Froda.' He said with a hint of disgust, 'But leave your issues at home.' He left her standing in the hall.  
  
______________  
  
Froda walked home alone. She was about an hour late, but she knew mum would be home late this evening. She always was. She stepped over a body in the gutter. Probably not a good idea to find out weather it was alive or dead. She felt a presents behind her. Her reaction was automatic. She grabbed a piece of broken bottle off the street and turned around.  
  
Nothing, but a groaning body in the gutter, swearing mildly. She walked down an ally. She felt the presents again. She turned around swiftly and threw the bottle at the wall. She swore she saw an unusual shadow. She was about to turn around again, when she heard the swish of a cloak. She turned to her left. She saw a corner of cloak.  
  
She picked up a piece of wood from a trashcan, and held it like a sword. 'Come out, who ever you are!' she said, her voice shaking, 'I'll kick your ass.'  
  
She didn't hear anything. Then she heard a rush of footsteps and the sound of a bird. Not the usual types of city birds that sang beautifully for their type, but the sound of a bird in pain. Not a small bird, a bird that was at least four-foot tall and had vocal cords that could strangle a troll into submission.  
  
She stood totally still for a minute, too scared to move. She heard the bird sound again. She gripped the wood harder. There was a slow clank of footsteps coming up to her. She turned around slowly, so that no one would notice.  
  
Over her stood a man (She assumed it was a man because she had never seen a ghost that looked so solid). It was dressed in black, a back coat, with black shirt and a black pair of tight jeans. A black hat and a black scarf covered the face. Her reaction was spontaneous. She quickly, before either of them had time to think, brought the plank down hard on his shins.  
  
The man let out a shrill, bird like sound and felt to the ground with no sound. That was odd. There should have been a thud, or a crack of bones breaking. Froda watched cautiously to the body. It was gone. All that was left were empty clothes. She gasped and then ran away, leaving the pile of expensive rags.  
  
  
  
Later, the man in the gutter crawled over to where the old hobbit girl had been. He saw the clothes. He looked at his clothes. Well, no point of leaving them to waste. He picked them up from the gutter, but as he did he saw a sinister figure in front of him.  
  
A sound of a man screaming into the afternoon rang throughout the streets of the Shire. Well, only in the bad part.  
  
________________________________  
  
Froda ran into the kitchen and locked the door feverishly, like a dog trying to lock a door. She lent against the door and hyperventilated. She took in a deep breath of air and gulped, trying to slow down her heart rate. What she saw was probably a shadow and probably the piercing screaming of a bird wasn't that of a nazgul, it was probably someone playing a trick, or a wading bird. Wading bird? They weren't even near a river!  
  
She strongly suspected that she wasn't the only one that knew the power of the ring. She also had a horrible fear that she had seen one of them. She waited for a short eternity at the door, breathing, gulping occasionally for air. She waited for it to be safe. She held out her hand hesitantly, and, like a snake it worked it's way to the knife on the side. She held it against her body, breathing laboriously, hoping in the cold steel to be her saviour.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
She screamed and turned around as a key moved in the lock. As the door opened she threw the knife at the doorway. Luckily it hit the door. Roland came in.  
  
'What the fuck is up with you?' he said in his husky voice. He pushed back the tight coal black curls on his head and wiped his continually sweating brow. Froda started to relax as much as anyone who had seen a rider could.  
  
'Err…I nearly got mugged on the way home. ' She explained.  
  
He took off his lettermen jacket and threw it on a kitchen chair. 'Whatever Freak child.'  
  
Froda decided to try to pretend everything was normal until she stopped herself shivering.  
  
'Oh yeah,' he said sitting down, grabbing a beer from the fridge, 'Some of my friends are coming 'round next Monday. I don't want you in the house. Could give me a bad name.'  
  
'Well,' said Froda, remembering she still had to get the form filled out, 'I've got this trip coming up….'  
  
'I'm not wasting my time getting you a trip to a museum….'He started.  
  
'No Roland, this is different. This means that I'm out of your sight and hair for at least a month. Please, don't tell Mum.' Froda pleaded.  
  
'Ok then. If it means that you will leave the house for a month I'm in.' Roland stumbled through into his room. Froda brought the paper out of her pocket. It was crumpled and dog-eared, but otherwise it was fine.  
  
He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and slid it over the table to her with a biro. I was a note with Mum's signature on it. Froda studied it for a few seconds and picked up the pen. The chain around her neck slipped over her top and dangled seductively as she wrote. Roland starred at it. It spun slightly from side to side, shinning like a precious thing.  
  
He couldn't resist it. It seemed to taunt him and call something terrible, primeval and terrible from the deepest pit of his mind. Beads of sweat broke out on his head. Why not? He thought to himself, She doesn't deserve it, it's too precious for a freak like her to hold. He thrust out his hand at snake speed and grabbed it. Unfortunately the chain attached Froda to it.  
  
'Roland, what the hell do you think….'  
  
'Shut up bitch! Give it to me! My precious! I want my precious!' He screamed at her. His brown eyes seemed to have become red and bloodshot in a matter of seconds and his perfect white teeth where bared at her.  
  
'No Roland, this is my ring. Get the hell offa me!' She shouted back. She slapped him hard. His grip didn't lessen, but increased. She gulped and slipped out of the chain around her neck.  
  
Roland held it, all his own. His Precious! He laughed maniacally, as if he didn't know weather to break down crying or dance in joy. He never thought that it would be so easy!  
  
'It's mine!' He screamed to the world in general. Then a metallic thud filled his word with darkness and shadows. It was Froda hitting him over the head with a metal frying pan. As his body hit the ground she smiled. She was in danger and could get killed. Finally she was in a situation she could relate properly to.  
  
His hand was open and the ring fell on the floor with a dainty clatter. She picked it up and slipped it back on. She put the pan on the side and checked that Roland was still alive. Yes, he was breathing, and, if he did have brain damage, no one would probably notice. She dragged his body to his room. She pulled him onto the bed and lay him down. He probably wouldn't wake for a few minutes, and she knew that he would never admit that he even knew her, let alone admit that she had smashed him up.  
  
She returned to her room, removing the knife from the kitchen door. She took it with her. She grabbed a rucksack and threw in some changes of clothes, a book or two, chocolate and her sleeping bag. It was dilapidated and ancient, but it would serve hopefully. She did up the toggle and sat down on her bed panting. Well, apart from food, packing was done. She sighed. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be her month.  
  
_____________________________________  
  
Froda sat watching her clock. She had to be up in exactly seven minutes. Her eyes were wide like a cat's. One second, two seconds, three seconds. She wanted to get up, but somehow the snakes in her belly made sure that she couldn't get up. She had to walk to school with her bag, but that was no problem for her. It was the fact she would be leaving home for a month. It wasn't like she usually was at any place longer than a year, but she would be leaving behind her home, her small family and not much else.  
  
That was it, she thought, She didn't want to lose what she didn't even have. What a screw up!  
  
Four minutes to go. She rolled over. She stuck her foot out of the bed. How the hell was she going to convince Mum that she had signed it? She knew that she was pretty absent-minded but this was ridiculous! She wasn't that stupid. Froda looked at the clock. 6:57. Those three minutes could be damned to hell! She threw off the bed covers and put on a pair of trousers and a tee shirt.  
  
She studied herself in the mirror. They where navy grunge trousers and a black T-shirt reading, 'The few, the proud and the strange'* She looked pretty damn good, even in her own opinion. She put on some make up out of habit and threw it into her pocket. She checked the ring around her neck.  
  
When she thought about it, it was just another move, but this time she would be carrying less. She grabbed a black sweater and pulled it down over her head. It was a band shirt, but the band it had previously advertised had peeled off with the picture, with a faint out line of where it had peeled off and faded. She grabbed the knife she had in her room last night and the rucksack. Now it was ten past seven. She would need a good head start if she were going to be there on time.  
  
She walked into the kitchen and put down the rucksack. She opened the fridge and grabbed some leftovers from yesterday. She ate them gladly and put the bowl in the sink. She washed it up with the knife she had last night. If you had watched the water, you would have seen a brown/red coloured liquid run down the sink with the remainders of the leftovers.  
  
She grabbed a coat from the hall and threw it over her. It wasn't thick and just about kept the rain out. She picked up her rucksack. Then Mum came in.  
  
'Froda, what are you doing up at this time in the morning?' she said. She was bleary eyed and looked a bit of a mess. She hadn't removed her make up the night before and it was smeared across her face like a road crash. Froda put the bowl away and said, 'Mum, I'm going off on a trip today. Don't you remember?'  
  
'Trip? Today? Since when? You're lying!'  
  
'No Mum, you signed it. I'm going today.' She said, showing the paper with the well-forged signature. Mum inspected it.  
  
'Ok, but I'm not giving you a lift, you should have reminded me last night. You know what I'm like.'  
  
'Ok mum. ' She said. She lifted the rucksack onto her back and left.  
  
________________________ 


	7. The start of a journey

Right, chapter 7  
  
I hope you like this.  
  
____________________  
  
'Bye Kavamir! Have a good time. And don't touch poison ivy!' Said his mum almost crying. She kissed him on the cheek and pinched his cheek. Kavamir put on a brittle grin and looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. She pulled him into a bone-breaking hug and his eyes almost fell out of his sockets.  
  
'Err…Bye Mum.' He choked weakly.  
  
'Bye Baby. Please keep warm. Mummy loves you.' She said. She let him go and walked back to the cart. She pulled the reins and the horse trotted away. Kavamir looked behind him. Estel was killing himself with laughter.  
  
'What's so funny?' said Kavamir rounding on him.  
  
'Nothing, ah hah ha, ' Estel giggled, 'Mummy Loves you' he mimicked. Kavamir went to hit Estel, but he rolled out of the way just in time.' Who would have thought you where a Mummy's boy?' Said Estel.  
  
'Don't you dare say a fucking thing!' said Kavamir angrily, 'She's just over protective that's all.'  
  
'Kavamir, don't forget, "Mummy Loves you!"' said Estel, bursting into a new fit of giggles.  
  
'Just fuck off Estel!' said Kavamir in a strop.  
  
'Mummy wouldn't like to think her little baby swore' said Estel in a Mummy voice. Kavamir pushed him down to the ground and they had a man fight. ^*  
  
Then Sam and Pippin arrived. Their Dad had given them a lift too. Pippin and Sam slipped off the cart and helped them by passing their bags down from the top of the cart. When they both had their bags he stepped down and hugged both of them. 'I'm going to miss you guys' He said.  
  
'You too Dad.' Said Sam.  
  
'Take care of Pippin for me' Said His Dad.  
  
'Da-ad, I can take care of myself!' said Pippin flicking her hair back.  
  
'Of course Pippin. Just you two be careful. There are many rare and dangerous animals in the wild still, and I don't want them getting rarer.' Sam and Pippin laughed and hugged him again.  
  
'See ya in a month.' Said Pippin cheekily kissing him.  
  
'See ya Pippin.' He replied. He also pulled the reins and the horse whinnied and trotted off.  
  
When he had driven off Pippin and Sam slung their bags on their back and ran over to Estel and Kavamir.  
  
'Hey, how're you guys. Ready to got?' Said Pippin, winking at Kavamir.  
  
'Err…yes.' Said Estel.  
  
'Definitely.' Said Kavamir, winking back. Pippin went red and shrank back slightly. Sam and Estel grinned. Then another coach pulled up and Merry stepped out with his bag. He instantly saw Kavamir and Pippin and shouted, 'Whattttttssup!'  
  
'Yo Merry,' shouted Kavamir,' we're over here.'  
  
'And you don't need to shout.' Said Pippin, flicking her hair back again.  
  
'Whatever Pippin,' said Merry, smiling naughtily.  
  
Then a bus came past and stopped. Ledron and Thorin got off the bus. Ledron grinned at them and ran up to them. Thorin trudged up to them, dragging his feet.  
  
'Hey, we're all here.' Said Thorin.  
  
'Except the teachers.' Said Estel.  
  
'And Froda.' Said Sam. They looked at him. 'I wonder where the teachers are?' asked Sam, trying to change the subject.  
  
'And Xandra. Where the hell is she?' said Thorin, 'What's she doing, straightening her hair before the trip?'  
  
'No Thorin.' Said Estel coldly, 'She was called to her brothers School yesterday and she had to come and tell me last night.' Kavamir gave him a look that said, "You fucked?"  
  
'No, before you ask, we haven't fucked.'  
  
'Not yet? You've been going out for six months. That's practically long enough for you guys to have got married.' Said Kavamir, 'How can you have not fucked yet?'  
  
'And I suppose you're a stud.' Said Estel, 'Mummy wouldn't have with that though.' He said putting on the mummy voice.  
  
'Fuck you Estel!' shouted Kavamir and pushed him. Estel lay back, satisfied, laughing at him.  
  
Froda chose this moment to walk around the corner. She saw them, gave them a look of contempt mixed with longing, and sat down about three foot away, as is the custom of the people when they are in a club without their friends. She slung the bag off her back and only now realised that they were all watching her. She gave them a "Go away" look and they did so.  
  
She opened her bag and played with the toggle. It wound around her fingers like a snake as she made it perfectly clear that they could go on speaking, even thought she was there.  
  
Thorin said, 'Really, did she go into your bedroom?'  
  
Estel gave him a funny look and said, 'Well, yes.'  
  
Pippin said, 'I always thought it was the guy who creeps into some one's bedroom late at night?'  
  
' 'fraid not Pippin. In this case she did.'  
  
'Oh.' She said in a small voice.  
  
'Anyway, where are Mr Greenleaf and Mr Gimli?' said Merry, changing the subject seeing how potentially upset Estel was getting.  
  
As narrative law dictates, they now turned up on a large cart together. They had a few bundles in the back and a suspicious looking bag of things. It wasn't as scary as what Mr Greenleaf was wearing.  
  
'Oh sweet Valor!' said Pippin, her face locked in an expression of disbelief.  
  
'Since when has that been in style?' said Froda, her face locked in the same expression.  
  
'I have a funny feeling that this trip is going to suck.' Said Thorin.  
  
'No Thorin, this is trip is going to defy the law of Physics.' They looked at Ledron (Who had just said this), looking slightly more bemused.' This trip is going to suck and blow at the same time.'  
  
'Yes' said Thorin, keeping the same expression of shock.  
  
'Hello, all here on time?' said Mr Greenleaf cheerily. They all looked at him with exactly the same expression of bemusement.  
  
Mr Greenleaf was wearing a green/grey tunic for about a hundred years ago with his hair tied back in a scrunchie. He wore knee length walking boots $$, and grey/Green tight trousers. On his back he had a quiver of arrows and his bow.  
  
They looked at him, not able to move.  
  
Finally Froda slapped herself and said, 'What the hell are you wearing? We maybe going far, but it doesn't mean that you have to dress up as a twat.'  
  
Mr Greenleaf looked slightly hurt and said, 'Well Miss Baggins, these are my best camping clothes.'  
  
Mr Gimli looked out of the side of the cart. He was wearing fairly normal clothes, a red checked shirt and blue jeans. He got out and said Gruffly, 'Pass me your bags.'  
  
They did so. He secured them onto a cart and signalled for them to climb on. They did so, cautiously. Mr Gimli got back into the driving seat and nodded at Mr Greenleaf. Mr Greenleaf jumped from the pavement into the cart where they were all sitting. They all shrank away as he rounded on them, wearing a huge manic grin. The cart started to rock as Mr Gimli started the cart moving.  
  
'Hey Guys!' he said, making every red blooded male on the bus cringe in fear, 'I hope you enjoy our camping trip. We'll be travelling by cart for two days and then by boat for about a week, so I hope you brought plenty of travel sickness tablets!'  
  
This failed to raise a laugh. They all, even Froda, gave each other looks of fear.  
  
'Uh….' Started Mr Greenleaf hesitantly as he was starting to feel nervous,' As you might know we'll be travelling to the havens….'  
  
'Havens?!' shouted Ledron without thinking, 'We're going to the Havens? That is like totally cool, but not totally cool! I'm going now? I wanted to be able to have a life before I turn up there!'  
  
'Don't worry Mr Ledron, this is not permanent, just a little trip to find out about elfish culture…'  
  
'So why isn't Miss Ismene travelling with us?' said Froda. She knew all right, but she thought she would have a laugh on the way.  
  
'Uh….' she could see Mr Greenleaf sweat.  
  
Then Mr Gimli spoke up. 'Okay, it isn't, but you can learn about it on the way. Actually it's an excuse to get all the troublemakers out of school before an inspection. That makes you happy?'  
  
'Err, no Mr Gimli.' Said Estel.  
  
'I'm not a trouble maker!' aid Pippin, flicking her hair.  
  
They all looked at her. No one was about to ask the obvious question.  
  
'I'm not!' she said, like a child having a sulk. Kavamir and Merry laughed at her expression. She hit both of them on the arm, but they kept laughing. Then she looked out of the side of the cart and sulked.  
  
Them Merry, still laughing hugged her, 'Of course you're not!' he said laughing.  
  
'Yeah, we all know weren't behind the body in the library.' Said Kavamir through a fit of giggles. Pippin his him again, and he kept laughing and grabbed her around the neck. She was pulled back into a hug. She started laughing to, punctuated with whoops of joy.  
  
'Right, before this bonding session goes any further,' said Mr Greenleaf, 'I've got tents, and I'll tell you who's sharing with who.'  
  
'Great!' said Thorin, 'Who's Xandra meant to share with?'  
  
'Xandra?' said Mr Greenleaf checking his list, 'She isn't on this trip, she cancelled last night, but before she left, she was meant to share with Pippin and Froda.'  
  
'Yes!' said Froda and Pippin at the same time. 'I don't have to share with you now!' said Froda.  
  
'Nor do I' said Pippin.  
  
'Actually, you do have to share.' Said Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'WHAT!' they said at the same time.  
  
'I'm not sharing with that weird Goth girl!' said Pippin.  
  
'I refuse to share with that dumb blond!' said Froda, looking at him forcefully.  
  
'Err, I don't really think that you've got a choice.' Said Mr Greenleaf. 'It's school policy that boy and girls can't share a tent.'  
  
'Does that mean that I can't have Pippin in my tent?' said Merry  
  
'Not after lights out I'm afraid.' Said Mr Greenleaf looking at his list.  
  
'So the school would rather we bummed each other?' said Kavamir.  
  
'Please, let me finish the list!' said Mr Greenleaf. 'Right, Thorin. Ledron and Estel share a tent…'  
  
'I have to share with Pretty boy?' said Thorin, totally contorted with anger.  
  
'I have to share with that Dwarf?' asked Ledron, also angry.  
  
'Yes, I'm afraid. You can swap tents, but until the end of the trip, you are in that group and you all look after that tent.' said Mr Greenleaf, uncomfortably.  
  
'Oh man!' said Thorin with his head in his hands, 'This cannot be happening!'  
  
'Right, and Kavamir, Samwise and Merodic are sharing a tent.'  
  
'WOO! We strike lucky again!' shouted Merry, high fiving Kavamir. Froda saw Sam put his head in his hands and shake it.  
  
'Okay, that's all I have to say except we set up camp at seven o'clock tonight and we get up at seven. ' Said Mr Greenleaf. He jumped out of the main part of the compartment and next to Mr Gimli who was steering the horses.  
  
They sat silent for a moment, waiting for someone to say something.  
  
'Oh sweet Valor!' said Merry quietly, 'I think he really is a poof!' They burst out laughing.  
  
'I'm afraid not' said Kavamir doing his Mr Greenleaf voice.  
  
'So guys, we have got to pull a prank on them!' said Pippin, opening her bag.  
  
Froda ignored them and snuggled against the side of the cart and read the book. She had purposely chosen the slightly taxing book as she felt that she would have time to concentrate. It was a book in elfish about the downfall of the ring. She read and read, trying to bock out the noise of laughter and happiness, but soon the lulling rock of the cart made her tired, and she gradually fell asleep.  
  
__________________________  
  
Froda opened her eyes. She knew this place, it was her dream world. The sky washed against the ground like the sea and there was heat haze over the hill. She felt the sand. It was hot, like putting your hands in boiling water. Wait, it was boiling water! She took her hands out and found that she had a sponge in her hand. She dropped the sponge and looked up. Sam stood there, washing something.  
  
'Sam,'she asked, 'What are you washing?'  
  
'Our hope. Do you want to help wash it?' He held out his hand, and she took it. Then, like a demonic piece of jewellery the ring around her neck grew and grew and grew and finally it encompassed them.  
  
'Sam?'  
  
'Froda, it's your hope, it's what happened to us.' Then she saw all of them, Estel, Pippin, Merry, Thorin, Xandra, Ledron and Kavamir. They where all covered in blood and looked tiredly determined. Estel and Xandra turned to him. Their eyes where filled with tears and Xandra whispered, 'You must destroy the ring Froda, it's our only hope.'  
  
Then she had left the desert and was standing on the top of a volcano. She was just inches from the edge. She watched the other side. A hobbit with short black curly hair stood there. He had similar feature to her, except the evil glint in his eye.  
  
'THE RING IS MINE!' he screamed out into the abyss below. She saw another hobbit that looked exactly like Sam if he was older bleeding on the ground. She wanted to scream, to cry out and stop it, maybe even attack the black hared hobbit, but she couldn't.  
  
She just watched. She felt tears running down her face. Then she saw a man run up to him. He was thin, starved, almost like a skeleton, but he had enough flesh to be alive. His hair was thin over his scalp, just enough to actually he classed as hair. But nothing was like his eyes. His eyes weren't like fire, they were on fire! His iris was just flame around a tiny pinpoint dot of a pupil. He had fangs, and indeed at this moment he bit off the finger of the black haired hobbit and shouted, 'My precious, my precious!'  
  
Froda couldn't stand it any longer. Somehow she jumped over the hot flame and pushed the black haired hobbit over. He gasped, but then she pushed the skeleton into the river of fire. He screamed and that was the last of him. The black haired hobbit stood up and hugged her. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!' He said, holding her close. She hugged him as well, they didn't let go for at least a minute.  
  
Then she heard a voice. The black haired hobbit said,'Go on Froda, he's calling for you. Whatever happens with him, I'll always love you.'  
  
Curious to find out who "He" was, she walked off leaving the two other hobbits. Suddenly the volcano disappeared and she was back in the dessert.  
  
'Froda' the voice called, 'Froda…' She turned around. It was her dad. 'Froda' he called again.  
  
'Daddy?' she said in a small voice. Then she laughed. She ran up to him to hug him, but just before she reached him, he disappeared, and she fell in the sand. She looked up, her mouth full of sand. She couldn't get up, she was too tired.  
  
'Froda, Froda….' The voice called again.  
  
'GO AWAY!' she shouted into the dessert, 'Just leave me alone!'  
  
'Froda, Froda….'  
  
Froda opened her eyes. The sky washed against the ground like the sea and there was heat haze over the hill. She felt the sand. Wait, it was boiling water! She took her hands out and found that she had a sponge in her hand. She dropped the sponge and looked up. Sam stood there, washing something.  
  
'Sam,'she asked, 'What are you washing, again?'  
  
'Our hope. Do you want to help wash it?' He held out his hand, and she took it. Then, like a demonic piece of jewellery the ring around her neck grew and grew and grew again and finally it encompassed them for a second time.  
  
'Sam?' She said, 'I've seen this before!'  
  
'Froda, it's your hope, it's what happened to us.' Said Xandra. Then she saw all of them, Estel, Pippin, Merry, Thorin, Xandra, Ledron and Kavamir. They where all covered in blood and looked tiredly determined. Estel and Xandra turned to him. Their eyes where filled with tears and Xandra whispered, 'You must destroy the ring Froda, it's our only hope. Froda, Froda…'  
  
___________________________  
  
'…Froda wake up, it's time for lunch!' Froda opened her eyes. She looked into the face of Mr Greenleaf. She looked into his warn brown eyes and his gentle smile. She shook her head and wiped her eye.  
  
'What time is it?' she asked him.  
  
'It's about one o'clock give or take a bit, and it's time for you to get up Mistress Sluggard.' He smiled again. She checked the ring around her neck, and got up from where she had been sleeping. Mr Greenleaf lifted her down from the cart as if she were a small child and said,'Go on Miss Baggins, join the others for lunch.'  
  
She saw Ledron, Sam and Kavamir sitting around a fire feasting on burnt sausages. Ledron picked at the sausage on a stick like a society lady who had just been given a sheep's eye, but was too polite to refuse it.  
  
She sat down next to him and picked up one of the sausages gingerly. She looked at it, then she plunged her teeth into it. It wasn't bad. Well, even a slice of pizza that had been under the sofa tasted good if you lived on sarnies for a week. She finished it off pretty fast and said, 'So went did we get here?'  
  
'About half twelve.' Said Ledron, picking at his sausage. 'You were spark out. I suppose the excitement of the similarian was too much to take. I can't believe you were reading that! This is a school trip for Valors sake! You don't do work on school trips.'  
  
'Err, I was reading that 'cause I didn't have anything better to do.' She said, avoiding saying that she wanted to find out about who was who at the havens.  
  
'I suppose you wanted to know what was going on in the havens. Well, no one knows for certain, except the elves, like Me.' said Ledron with pride. 'Anyway, what are you doing reading elfish books? You're a hobbit, who speaks common tongue. You should not be reading elfish!'  
  
'I do. It's sort of a hobby.' Said Froda, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
'Hobby? Even I don't understand it!' said Ledron throwing his hands in the air. Froda laughed cautiously. Ledron smiled at her.  
  
'Hey, Froda wake up yet?' said Estel walking out of some trees.  
  
'Yeah,' she said. 'How long did'ya let me sleep?  
  
'Well you seemed pretty frightened by what you were dreaming so we let you sleep until Mr Greenleaf noticed you were missing.' Said Kavamir,' You're not meant to wake people up from nightmares, or you kill them' said Kavamir conversationally. He plunged his teeth into the sausage. 'That's good sausage.' He said with a hillbilly accent.  
  
Froda laughed at him and took another sausage from the fire. Ledron looked at his sausage and waved it so it flopped. He looked up from the sausage.  
  
'Still eating that wiener Ledron?' asked Estel raising an eyebrow.  
  
'It's a sausage?' he said, in mock surprise,' I thought it was a miniature dildo, or a small dead animal!' Ledron gave it a look of disgust. 'Anyone want my sausages?'  
  
'Maybe not Ledron' said Sam. Then as if he had just noticed something he said' Where the hell are Mr Gimli and Mr Greenleaf? They were here only a moment ago.'  
  
Froda fingered a sausage. 'I dunno, probably having a quick shag before we have to go on the road again.' She bit into the sausage. 'Who the hell cooked these sausages.' She said angrily as she spilt out a bit of sausage.' It is not possible to actually burn them on the outside and have them frozen on the inside!'  
  
'Ask Mr Greenleaf,' said Sam, 'He's the one who cooked them. I don't know how he managed it, but he did it. He insisted that he could cook them. Mr Gimli insisted that they couldn't, and guess who was right?'  
  
Froda laughed, 'Yeah, not only is he a queer elf, but a retard. What the hell is he wearing?'  
  
'I know. When he gave them out I would have thrown them away, but he was looking so expectant and sweet, that I couldn't.' Said Sam. 'Come on, let's go for a walk. Maybe we'll find some mushroom or some growing berries.'  
  
'That is the best offer I've had all day.' Said Froda getting up, discarding the sausage. They ran into the woods, looking out for places to hide and food. They soon found Pippin and Merry. They where with Thorin and were talking about things. Sam walked off to join them and Froda stood alone. Sam beckoned her, and she came. She sat down next to him, and joined in the conversation. Sometimes, Froda thought, it's nice to stop fighting and find out that you're like everyone else.  
  
_________________  
  
I hope you liked that. I'm sorry, but I have to fit this in around work, so chapters might become a bit irregular. Please r and r, and enjoy! 


	8. Good chapter

Chapter eight  
  
Ok, do not review me! That reverse psychology. Ok, REVIEW ME!!  
  
Even flames, but try to have constructive flames rather than just bitchy ones.  
  
Chapter update, in this chapter you get to meet Fran the red, and get a little bit into Sam's mind. Just R and R, you'll get it in the end.  
  
Also I've got an authors note. Fran, Xandra and everyone else in Ered Nimras has an English accent. Xandra has a slight American twinge because she has live in the shire for so long. Another note, Legolas, Gimli and all other character younger than fifty have American accents. That should help a bit with pronunciation and language. I just write this because I'm writing a latter scene involving these characters at the moment.  
  
_______________________  
  
Xandra at this time had just reached the foothill of Ered Nimras. She was wore dark blue grunge jeans and a white shirt with a blue string vest over the top. She also had her staff in her hand. She saw the locked gates and smiled .She stepped back a few paces and threw a fireball at the gates. She was disappointed to see that it didn't have an effect. Then she read the sign on the door.  
  
"Fire balls do not effect this door."  
  
She sighed and pressed the doorbell at the side. There wasn't an answer. She pressed it again, the electronic buzz boring deep into her skull. Then, after a few seconds she realised the door was open. She pushed it faintly and it squeaked open. She didn't expect to see what she saw. She didn't see a student hovel, she saw a minimalist dream. It was all white, including the furniture, but no one was there. She touched the table next to her. No dust. This was scary.  
  
'Ah sister, You're here….'She looked around.  
  
Fran stood at the end of the room. He was wearing the traditional robes that Xandra only wore on special occasions, but instead of red, he wore white. He had knocked out all of the walls, and all that was left was a long room.  
  
'Fran, what the hell is going on?' she asked, 'I've been told that you've taken over the school and that you've got the headmaster in a prison. I need to see him immediately!'  
  
'Xandra, Xandra, Xandra,' he soothed, 'You will see what you want in time, but I must tell you a few things before you say another word. ' He said with a sneer.  
  
'Fran...' she said, getting scared. He clicked his fingers. Two female students came out of nowhere and grabbed her, taking her staff away. They were both robed in white traditional clothes as well. Xandra struggled, but they had a hard grip. 'FRAN, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!' she screamed, 'YOU TELL ME NOW OR I WILL BLOW UP THIS FUCKING BUILDING!'  
  
'Xandra, dear Xandra,' he said, coming close to her face and smiling, taunting her, 'That's always been you trouble. You've always been hasty to fight. That's why I've won. I used my brain before my staff. I knew you would come, I've heard of it too. I know you know where it is.'  
  
'Look, if you could tell me what you're talking about, I'd be happy, but unfortunately I don't.' She said, still struggling.  
  
'Ah, time among mortals has dulled your senses.' Said Fran.  
  
'Look, just tell me what you're going on about!' shouted Xandra, 'I was sent by Gandalf to find out about the other ring of power, that's….' She stopped, just realising what she had said. 'Oh shit!' she said quietly.' That's it isn't it? You want the other ring of power.'  
  
'Ten out of ten for observation.' Said Fran nastily, 'Yes I do, and Sauron has promised me that I will have power over half of middle earth.'  
  
'Fran, are you thick or something?' Exclaimed Xandra 'For one so supposedly wise you are an idiot. SAURON DOES NOT SHARE POWER!'  
  
Fran's expression changed from one of nasty Pride to one of outraged hurt. He stepped close to her face and slapped her.  
  
'Don't you ever, EVER, say that again!' he whispered so loud that it echoed around the hall.  
  
'And these girls,' she started, smiling even though her face hurt, 'How the hell did you get them? I though everyone knew you was crap.'  
  
'At what exactly?' said Fran with a warning voice.  
  
'Sex.' She said simply.' I've heard what they said about you. Limp dick they called you…'  
  
'Shut the fuck up!' he screamed, 'Shut up bitch! It's not like you've even fucked!'  
  
The girls held onto her arms harder, their fingernails digging into her skin.  
  
'Yeah Fran, you might live in this fantasy world, but I really need to talk to Ragagas the White. Now take me to him!'  
  
'Xandra, on all of your journeys, have to ever developed supernatural powers?' he said with a hint of pride.  
  
'Oh no, please don't say you've done what I think you've done….' Said Xandra.  
  
'Are you thinking that I've killed him? Well, you're right.' He said with a smile. 'He is dead.'  
  
Xandra's mouth opened and said in a whisper that filled the hall,' You bastard. You utter, utter bastard.'  
  
He slapped her again. 'Imprison her on the special tower!'  
  
Xandra stood up as best as she could. 'Fran. That is so cliché.' The girls pulled her across the floor, Xandra kicking and screaming.' I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS!' she shouted.  
  
'Yeah, right. When pigs fly!' he shouted back. Then he pointed his staff at her.  
  
Xandra didn't feel sick, or as if half her body had been left behind, but she appeared on top of a tower above a dark land. Then she realised that Fran had rebuilt Sauroman tower. She was on the same tower that Gandalf had been imprisoned on. Damn. That was not a good thing.  
  
She lent against a wall. Then she heard a sound. It was a faint buzzing, like the static of a radio. Xandra stood up fast, realising that it might actually be a radio. She looked over the tower. It was bare, just the Four Corners and the floor, that was it. Then she looked over the edge. Some orcs were setting up a radio, which began to play some loud music. They laughed evilly with there orcish voices and Fran appeared.  
  
'Work you fools, work! We must have energy to get the lord's army ready!' he pointed his staff at the radio and it exploded. The orcs gibbered like monkeys and ran off, back to the mines.  
  
She slid down a wall and crumpled into a foetal position. It was getting cold, even with the continuing bellowing of smoke from the mines, she was alone with no one to talk to, and she knew she was going to die. She really didn't have a hope  
  
____________________________  
  
Meanwhile the rest of them had been travelling for another five hours and had reached the campsite. Mr Greenleaf had given out the tents, and at the moment he was laughing at Ledron and Thorin's attempts at tent setting up. They were refusing to work together and at the moment one end was propped up with hope alone and the other had virtually no sheet. It had crashed in the middle and they were having a row.  
  
'Oh, so pretty boy knows everything about camping does he?' shouted Thorin at Ledron.  
  
'At least my end has some sheet!' shouted Ledron. 'Not just metal!' Estel came back with the three bags, which he had agreed to take. When he saw the tent he dropped everything.  
  
'What the fuck have you done with the tent!' he said loudly.  
  
'Ah, Mr Estel, It appears that they have refused to agree which should be done first, the structure or the pegging.' Said Mr Greenleaf, sitting on a convenient rock.  
  
'He started it!' said Ledron.  
  
'Come on you guys!' he said, 'We all have to sleep in this tent, so we better put it up right.'  
  
'Yeah, that's what I said, ' argued Ledron, 'but "Mr Dwarf" here knows best say that we need to put the pegs in first, and he is so not right!'  
  
'I did not say that!' interjected Thorin, 'I said that we needed to prop it up, so he obviously refused to work with me on that!'  
  
'SHUT UP!' shouted Estel as they tried to throw in more arguments.  
  
I wish Xandra were here, He thought to himself, she knows how to sort out these two. Admittedly by pinning them up to a tree, but it works.  
  
'Right, Ledron hold that end, He said giving him a pair of poles connected by an A peg,' And Thorin hold that!' It was the same, but on the other side.  
  
Estel held up the longest pole and slipped it onto the top of the A pegs. 'Err, don't let go yet,' he said, 'I just need to put the canvas on…' He reached to the pile of tent stuff and grabbed the canvas, making sure that it was the right way out. He threw it over all of them and stood back. 'Maybe you guys need to get out from underneath and actually put it in the A pegs.'  
  
The dwarf and elf did not look impressed as they crawled from under the canvas. 'You pussy!' shouted Thorin, 'that was totally gay!'  
  
'Look, just put up your end of the tent you twat!' said Estel. Ledron and Thorin, avoiding each other's eyes sorted each end of the tent. 'Now that's up you peg up each end, alright?'  
  
Estel picked up some pegs and passed them over to the two arguing parties.  
  
They stood silent for a few seconds and then said, 'Aren't we meant to have hammers or something?' said Thorin, shifting his feet.  
  
'Oh give them here you idiots!' said Pippin who had just appeared behind them. She grabbed the tent pegs from Ledron and Thorin and threw one set over the other side of the tent. Froda caught it. She nodded at them and pushed the pegs into the ground with her hands. A few minutes later they had both pegged it into the ground while the helpless male just watched. Pippin stood up and wiped her brow.  
  
'How come you big strong men are having trouble with your tent?' she said  
  
'Yeah, we poor feeble females had our tent up in half the time you guys have.' Said Froda walking around the tent.  
  
'Err…' Ledron looked at Thorin.  
  
'Umm….' Said Thorin, looked back.  
  
Froda sighed. 'Just pass me your top sheet and help us on with it.'  
  
'Err…' said Estel…'Topsheet?'  
  
'Try the big piece of canvas you have left over.' Translated Pippin.  
  
'Err, big piece of canvas…' started Ledron. Then realising that no one was amused passed it over. They threw it over and sorted it out. Pippin and Froda gave back the remaining tent pegs, 'I should think that you can deal with that.' Said Pippin. She flicked her hair in a familiar way and walked off.  
  
They stood astounded. Estel held some pegs. 'Better get started then.' He said.  
  
'Yeah.' Said Ledron.  
  
__________________  
  
Froda had disappeared at this time, literally. She had slipped the ring on, and had decided to search the campsite unseen. She passed Kavamir and Merry's tent. At the moment they were arguing which side of the tent they were going to sleep on.  
  
Froda smiled and noticed that Sam wasn't around. She examined the ground. There were some hobbit-sized tracks leading into the forest. She felt inside her coat, checking that the knife she was hiding was still in her pocket. Good. It was just the right size.  
  
She walked into the forest following the tracks. She soon found among the pine tree a fresh water river. The tracks stopped and she found about ten minutes up the river, Sam. He was washing his face and hands in the river. He had only been here ten minutes and he had already had his arms and face covered in mud.  
  
Water ran off his chin slowly, each perfect clear drop left ripples in the water. He plunged his hands into the water and threw a handful of water over his golden brown curls. Froda knew she shouldn't be watching, but at the moment she was glued to the spot.  
  
He looked into the river at his reflection. He wiped his face with his sleeve. He looked into the river again and sighed. 'Man, this is one trip.' He said to his reflection.  
  
Froda watched, mesmerised.  
  
'I bet Merry and Kavamir haven't noticed I'm gone. ' He said to his reflection. It stared back at him, not saying a word.  
  
He looked into the water, and checking for listeners he lent forward and said to the water, 'Y'know, I bet that no one noticed that I was gone. I'm just good old Sam, nothing different or interesting. Ledron, Estel and Thorin are all team captains, Kavamir and Merry are jokesters and Xandra and Pippin are the most fancied girls in school. All right, I don't want to like a Homo magnet, but I wish I were interesting! I wish I wasn't just a tag along, I wish I knew wear I fit in!'  
  
Sam was now ranting and raging at the river. Froda had never seen him like this. He all ways seemed like a very mellow, nice person. The type of person who genuinely never thought badly of people. This was a shock. She knew she shouldn't be watching, but she couldn't move.  
  
'Why am I always a backdrop to the others. I wish I could be like, a hero, or a really cool guy. For once getting the complements rather than making them. I WISH I KNEW HOW TO TURN HER ON!'  
  
He stopped, looking around for more listeners. He seemed to have stopped raging, as if he had admitted a guilty secret. He breathed heavily and fell backwards onto his arse like he had been pushed over. He hyperventilated, and then shouted to the world in general,' There, I've said it! I want her! I want her. I know she hates me and thinks I'm a twat, but I want her. I want her more than anyone before! I want her not for quick shags, but for me.'  
  
Froda could believe her ears. He had the hots for some one. Who this some one was, was to be found out, but she was already jealous. The woman he wanted was a bitch. She ran off into the forest. She didn't want to know any more.  
  
'Yes!' said Sam under his breath, 'I've said it. I want Froda.'  
  
__________________  
  
Froda took the ring off a little into the forest. She put it back around her neck and put her hand in front of her face again. Good, she was visible. She sat down on a tree stump and thought about what Sam had said. He really wanted to be a hero? He had always struck him as very unambiguous, as if he wanted to be in the backdrop. She had never thought that he wanted to be a hero.  
  
He also had such a bad crush on someone. She hated that person. They had something that she would never have. Sam's heart. She sighed. No one would have noticed by now that either of them had gone. She felt inside her jacket for the knife. She slid it out of the inner pocket and held it by the sheaf. She held it theatrically above her arm, as if deciding which part of it to carve. She held it there a few seconds, shaking.  
  
She heard footsteps. She dropped the knife and it hit the ground. She turned around. It was Sam. He hadn't noticed her. He turned around at the sound of the knife hitting the ground.  
  
'What the…oh, it's you.' He said.  
  
'Yeah. I thought I might try to find you.' She said smiling faintly. He seemed a little embarrassed to see her. He wrung his hands together. Froda couldn't help but notice the water stains on his clean white T-shirt. She looked at it a little to long, then he said, 'I've just been by the river.'  
  
'Oh. Shall I take you back to camp?' she said, picking up the knife. On reflection that wasn't really the best thing to do.  
  
'Err, maybe not.' He said backing away.  
  
She put the knife into her jacket and rolled her eyes.' Come on, I promise not to kill you.' She took his hand.  
  
'SAM! FRODA! WHERE ARE YOU!' Shouted a voice at the top of a hill. They looked from were they were. Mr Greenleaf was standing at the top of a hill. He had changed out of his elfish gear and wore a pair of jeans with a red tight hoodie. They both smiled, and waved at him.  
  
'Oh, there you are. No one knew where you had gone. ' He said jogging gracefully down the hill.  
  
'I came down here to wash. There's a river. And water.' Said Sam.  
  
'Froda, should you be wandering off?' said Mr Greenleaf concerned, winking a wink that meant, "You realise that you're on a mission to save middle earth, not a school camping trip?"  
  
'Err, I just followed Sam to find out if there was a river.' She said in a tone that said, "Yes, I know, but do you want everyone else to know?"  
  
'Ok, just get back to camp. No one is to walk off on their own. They have to go in pairs." Said Mr Greenleaf sighing.  
  
'Well, we know. Thanks.' Said Froda, pulling Sam up the hill after her.  
  
'All right, but I shall be cooking if no-one else gets anything started.' Shouted Mr Greenleaf from behind them. Sam ran faster, now pulling Froda behind him.  
  
__________________________  
  
Ok, there is more, whether you like it or not, so I'll put that up as soon as possible. Let's just say this has the potential for at least fifty chapters, and we've got a whole lot of havens, adventure and anger to read and write. Also, 'cause I just want everyone to know this, Froda will meet Frodo. Right, that's made your day, enjoy! 


	9. Blood (n-17)

Chapter Nine: Blood.  
  
Ok, please read and review! I have worked really hard on this and I think I deserve it!  
  
__________________________  
  
'Right, who's got the matches?' said Kavamir with an armful of kindling. He dumped it in the middle of the pile of stones that served as a hearth.  
  
'Err, Sam I think' said Merry with his own mini armful of kindling, which he dumped on top of Kavamir's.  
  
'Yeah, I haven't seen him for a while.' Said Estel bringing out some tins of soup from his bag.  
  
'Or Froda.' Said Pippin with firelighters+++.' She's set up her camp bed, but she hasn't got out her food or anything.'  
  
' Hey, some one mention my name?' said Froda with Sam, coming from the forest.  
  
'Yeah.' said Pippin, 'Go get some of your food, maybe get some wood. We're having a feast tonight. Sam?'  
  
'Yes mistress?' he said wearily.  
  
'Go get your matches.' She ordered.  
  
'On one condition Sister dear.' He said, 'I'll cook. I don't trust the rest of you with dinner.'  
  
'All right!' said everyone present.  
  
'Hey, who wants tomato and leak soup, sausages, potatoes and prunes, and to finish off custard and strawberries?' said Froda looking at her food with everyone else's, 'Because that's what dinner is at the moment.'  
  
'Ok.' Said Sam taking over, 'Who got the tomato soup?'  
  
'I did' said Ledron.  
  
'Anyone with pasta shells?' said Sam  
  
'Here' said Thorin throwing it over to him.  
  
'Ok, how does this sound. We have pasta, then we have custard.' Said Sam.  
  
'Ok.' Said Froda. This was better than meals at home.  
  
'Custard on it's own?' said Merry flabbergasted.  
  
'Ok, does anyone have a pudding with them?' said Froda sarcastically.  
  
'I've got Lembas.' said Mr Greenleaf, who had been listening.  
  
'Mr Greenleaf? Are you and Mr Gimli joining us for dinner?' said Sam, shrinking slightly.  
  
'Don't worry Sam, no one can cook worse than me, and I usual cook.' He said, 'But Lembas is the only thing I can cook. To perfection.' He held out a piece of Lembas. Sam took a corner and tried it. He smiled. 'This is perfect! Thank you Mr Greenleaf.'  
  
Sam was given nine pieces of Lembas. He put them beside him and shouted at Throin. 'We've got two more than we expected. '  
  
Thorin ignored him and Sam looked for anyone who was free. Froda brought him some more pasta.  
  
'Ah, Sam, it isn't the same as the other stuff, but I think there should be about enough.' She smiled at him.  
  
'Hey, Froda, could you do me a favour?' he said.  
  
'Anything for you Sam' she said naughtily.  
  
'Could you go and fill this pan with water?' he said thrusting the pan at her. She seemed more than a little disappointed. She walked on into the forest on her own. He stoked the fire with a twig, watching it crackle and spit. Pippin sat next to him.  
  
'Hey Pipster.' He said smiling.  
  
'Sam. You know that you're an idiot.' She said casually.  
  
'Pardon? What the hell are you going on about?'  
  
'You know about the birds and the bee's and I also know that you like her.'  
  
'Like who?'  
  
'Froda you div.' She said hitting him gently on the arm.  
  
'Pippin, how the hell would you know who I like?' He said defensively, 'I don't see you being the love guru.'  
  
'Well, let me put it like this: I have to sleep in the same room as you.' She said nastily, 'I have heard you shout out her name in the night and you've been practically shagging your bedcover when you've been shouting her name.'  
  
'So? That could be a different Froda.' He said.  
  
'How many Froda's do you know? I know Frodo's a common enough name, and I know at least eight….' Then she got a horrible mental image,' Oh no! Have been hearing a different….'  
  
'NO! You're right.' He said. 'I'm not into that stuff….'  
  
'Right. But what the hell have you been doing? You've been pushing her away.'  
  
'Me? She's the Goth.'  
  
'Not like that' Pippin waved away,' She's been flirting with you so badly. I mean, just now' Pippin put on a squeaky girl voice,' "Anything for you Sam." That was not a comment, it was a hint.'  
  
'At what….' He said, then stopped. 'Oh.'  
  
'See what I mean? You're so innocent.' She said slapping his arm.  
  
'So is that a bad thing?' he said.  
  
'Sam, it means that you have less idea of sex than Bilbo Baggins did.' She said, leaning over to him.  
  
'Oh Pippin, that was painful. Very, very painful.' He said, stoking the fire again.  
  
'Sorry, but I couldn't resist.' She said, 'I've been saving up that one for a long time.'  
  
'Ah, forget about it.' Sam poked the fire again.  
  
'YO, Sam' shouted Kavamir from the forest, 'Where do you want these logs?'  
  
'Logs?' exclaimed Sam.  
  
'Yeah!' said Merry,' Heavy logs. For sitting on?'  
  
'Just put the down next to the fire.' He said. They pushed the log next to the fire and Estel pushed another log from another angle. They stopped in exactly the right place.  
  
'Hey, where did you get the idea for this?' said Sam to Kavamir.  
  
'Mr Gimli suggested it.' Said Merry. Mr Gimli sat next to his tent smoking a pipe. 'He said it would be better than sitting on the ground. '  
  
'Hey, where's the water?' asked Kavamir.  
  
'Oh, there's a river down there…' said Sam pointing with his thumb.  
  
'Hey, Froda's been a while. I'll go check on her.' Said Pippin. She got up. Sam also got up, but sat on the log Kavamir had just rolled beside him.  
  
____________________  
  
The knife gleamed in the setting sun light. The cheap steel gleamed like the teeth of a predator, a bear maybe, or a human. Froda brought the knife down slowly on her arm. It wasn't near the artery, but it bled. The scarlet coloured liquid slowly seeped out of her arm like water trying to escape a bridged up damn. She breathes slowly, as she watched a drop weal up and fall into the river.  
  
It sped along with the slow running river and was unnoticeable in the mixture of the pure water and happy woodland animals. Froda was crying again. She hated doing it, as it hurt so much, but sometimes she needed the rush of adrenaline. She breathed heavily again, watching it bled.  
  
SLASH!  
  
The noise wasn't loud, Froda, under normal circumstances wouldn't have even heard it, but it filled her world. It was a bigger cut and produced more blood. The blood weald up in one corner and slid down her forearm in a small stream. It also dripped slowly, like a tap.  
  
She looked with disgust at her arms. They were covered in angry scars and bruises, criss crossing in parts.  
  
'I'm sorry I can't be beautiful for you darling…' she said in a whisper, a desperate whisper, 'I'm sorry that you have to find me like this.'  
  
She slashed the side of her arm.  
  
This time she watched as it bled fast. The pure blood. Nothing else she knew was like love. So pure, yet so dirty. It always left a stain, but it tied people in so many ways. So many ways, she knew of nearly all. She liked to see herself suffer. It confirmed the belief that she knew was true. That she wasn't even worth the pain. Somehow, even though it hurt, she felt happy, as if she were on a cloud floating away.  
  
She thrust her hands and arms into the running river. She loved the sigh of her own blood. She always knew that it wasn't someone else's blood on her hands, but her own, to which she was responsible. She was spilling it, not some one else.  
  
She took her arms out of the river. The blood was now diluted. In each drop of water, blood swirled like pollution on a reservoir. She licked one of the cuts like a dog. Her tongue rasped along the cut skin like a grater along soft cheese. She tasted the iron in her blood. She swallowed it.  
  
She felt the sudden rush of adrenaline. It was almost orgasmic; a tingle going through the whole of her body. But, what was going on? Her wounds weren't bleeding any more? They were filled faintly with a clear yellowish liquid. She wiped it away, but she knew that they wouldn't bleed any more.  
  
Hadn't she promised mum not to do it any more? Yes, but mum wasn't ever home, she was never there to stop her, she was just saying that because having a daughter like her wasn't fashionable. A child like Pippin would suit her down to the ground. A happy, fashionable child with long curly blond hair. A child with a hope. A child that filled her world with happiness and light. Not like her, like Froda Baggins. A child who hated herself and the world with equal passion and failed her parents. That's why Roland was the favourite, the winner and the one that everyone wanted.  
  
Well, at least there was one less one to worry about. But she knew she would never have the guts to cut the big one, the main vein. The vein you cut when you are serious. She washed the knife and then cut her other arm. It stopped hurting. Everything did. The whole world seemed to have been numbed. It was like salvation was just a cut away.  
  
She was crying. Sometimes she just would cry for no reason when she did this. She cried, and couldn't breathe properly. She choked back a loud sob and let her tears fall into the river. They left beautiful ripples and she watched as the new cut fell with her tears. She laughed and cried. She didn't know what to do. She got the sudden kick of adrenaline and suddenly she just couldn't stop laughing. Sometimes after crying so much inside and the boiling resentment is to hard to bear, you had to see real pain. Real pain or you will just explode.  
  
  
  
She was hysterical now, laughing like a manic. If some one had been listening they would have probably have thought that she had just been taking a drug. Someone had been listening. Pippin had watched from the time the second slash had been made. She had stood watching, to horrified to move. She watched the laughing, crying hysterical figure bleed.  
  
'I'm sorry I can be beautiful for you darling' whispered Froda to the world, 'All you'll see are scars and blood. That's my fault. ' She started laughing again maniacally, 'I'm not a beautiful person. I'm sorry I'm not good enough for all of you.'  
  
She raised the knife in he hand and brought it down slowly, cutting along her arm again. Pippin couldn't stand it any longer. She ran down the hill and shouted,' Froda, STOP IT!'  
  
Froda just sat by the river laughing, the knife dripping her own blood. She just laughed and cried like she couldn't decide if she was sad or happy.  
  
'I'm sorry Pippin, I haven't got the water.' Froda choked out between sobs and giggles.  
  
'Sweet VALOR! What the hell have you done to yourself?' whispered Pippin grabbing both arms. Underneath Pippin's soft finger the cuts smarted like hell and bled a little onto her hand.  
  
'I just let it all out.' She said, 'all of it.' She laughed again.  
  
'Froda? Froda, all of what, what's going on?'  
  
'I just let it all bleed out. I'm sorry I'm not beautiful like you. I forgot the water. I just let it all out.' Froda garble. Pippin couldn't understand. She just held Froda by the arms and tried not to let go.  
  
'Froda, just calm down!' she said more to herself than Froda, 'I've just got to stop the bleeding.'  
  
'NO!' Froda tried to pull herself out of Pippin's grip, but failed. 'Don't stop it! It's so beautiful. So pure.' Froda seemed to be talking to herself, garbling about stuff Pippin couldn't understand or hear.  
  
Pippin held onto Froda's arms for dear life as Froda laughed, cried and raved like a mad hobbit. Pippin had no idea what to do. She started by looking around for something to wrap her arms in. She saw that Froda had already taken a bandage down with her as she was planning to patch herself up after wards.  
  
Pippin grabbed it off the ground and tied it around Froda's arms. Froda didn't do a thing. She just left Pippin bandage her arms and cried.  
  
Pippin decided to get up and get Froda back to camp. Mr Greenleaf would be better at dealing with this sort of thing, or Mr Gimli. Then she thought, what would she say? If Froda wanted to hurt herself, that wasn't her business, it would be prying. She could say that Froda had hit herself on a rock or something, but that wouldn't work. No cuts from a rock could be so clean. Pippin, for the first time in her life, didn't know what to do.  
  
Froda seemed to have stopped crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and she pulled her sleeves over the bandages. Pippin has stepped a few steps away and turned around to see Froda picking up the pan with water in it. Froda was shaking as if she had just been run over by a truck.  
  
'Froda, maybe…'  
  
'No Pippin, I can carry it. No point moddie coddling me. It was my own fault that I'm hurt. I'm ok for me.' She said in a toneless, emotionless voice.  
  
'Froda, you slit your fucking wrists! That is not something you do for no reason.'  
  
'Please Pippin, I need to get this back to camp….'  
  
'Froda, you slit your wrists, I want to know why!' Demanded Pippin.  
  
'PIPPIN, LEAVE ME ALONE!' she screamed, 'I need to be alone.' Froda walked back to camp in front of Pippin.  
  
'Froda, wait!' Pippin scrambled after her. It was no use. Froda ran up the hill fast with the water. Pippin stopped. This was something she would have to talk over with Mr Greenleaf.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sam poked the fire again. 'Hey, Merry, could you get me some more wood?'  
  
Merry Stood up from was he was sitting and saluted wearing a mischievous grin. 'Yes Mr Cook sir!' he said in a liverpudlian accent and with Kavamir walked into the forest. Froda walked out of the forest looking flustered.  
  
'You took your time!' said Sam.  
  
Froda gave him a look that could kill. 'Here's you water.' She said gruffly, practically throwing the pan at him and walked off to her tent.  
  
A few seconds later Sam was still holding the pan and looked shocked. 'What brought that on?' he said to the world in general.  
  
'I dunno.' Said Thorin, 'You're a hobbit. You know about that sort of thing.'  
  
'Ok' Sam put the pasta on the boil. Pippin walked out of the forest. 'Sam, did you see Froda come past?'  
  
'Yeah, she went to her tent.' He said. 'Something seemed to be bugging her.'  
  
'Thanks.' She said and walked in the opposite direction.  
  
'That was odd.' Said Ledron sitting opposite Sam, 'What do you think is up with them?'  
  
'I dunno, probably had a disagreement, or on their period or something.' said Sam, poking at the fire again.  
  
'Yeah, your probably right.' Said Ledron picking at some of the stuff on the ground.  
  
________________________  
  
Legolas was sitting by his tent when Pippin walked over to him. She seemed a little embarrassed and more than a little apprehensive. He smiled at her and she blushed slightly.  
  
'Err…Mr Greenleaf, can I talk to you?'  
  
'Of course Miss Gamgee. Would you like to sit down?' she reluctantly sat down on a patch of ground next to him. He noticed that she rolled up her sleeves as she sat down. 'What would you like to tell me?'  
  
'Well, Mr Greenleaf, I was going to ask Mr Gimli, but I didn't think that he would understand, so I'll stop avoiding asking what I want to ask you and ask.' She left a pause. 'I know someone, I'm not like their best friend or anything, but they've been cutting themselves.'  
  
Legolas suddenly realised why she had rolled up her sleeves. To prove it wasn't her.  
  
'Well, they've been doing it for a long time and you can see the scars and bruises all up their arms and everything. ' Explained Pippin, 'I mean I don't know what to do. They won't talk about it, but I can see it's making them unhappy.'  
  
'Miss Gamgee, who is this person?' he asked. Maybe he could talk to them later. He could see that it was worrying Pippin.  
  
'I can't say.' She said, turning away. 'Look, I couldn't tell Sam and the others, 'cause they wouldn't understand this sort of thing. I mean, they're BOYS, and, well, I though being older and mature, you might understand. '  
  
'I do Miss Gamgee, but please, tell me more.' Said Legolas sucking his pipe.  
  
'Well, I found this person doing it, Y'know cutting themselves, and I didn't know what was going on. I thought they might have done it by accident, don't ask how, but then they kept slashing and slashing, and they were bleeding and laughing about it. I mean laughing? It chilled me, but I went over to them halfway through and they were just going on about stuff I didn't understand. I tried to question them, but she just garbled some stuff about beauty.'  
  
Pippin had to take a big breath after this. 'Well, I bandaged them up as best as possible, but after that they seemed to go back to normal and just walked off. I mean, just walked off after going crazy!'  
  
'So Miss Gamgee, you want some advice?'  
  
'Yes. I saw all of this, and I'm scared they might hurt themselves badly.' Said Pippin.  
  
Legolas took the pipe out of his mouth and tapped it against his knee as he thought about what he had heard for a few seconds. 'Well, if I were you Miss Gamgee I'd confront Miss Baggins later tonight about what you saw and maybe just be there for her so she doesn't have to resort to cutting herself when she fells down.'  
  
'How on middle earth did you know that I was talking about Froda?'  
  
'Because of my elfish powers.' Pippin looked at him, 'deduction.' He said finally. He grinned again and Pippin tried to keep a straight face. Then she burst out laughing.  
  
'Thank you Mr Greenleaf.' She said, 'I'm glad I could talk to you.'  
  
______________________  
  
+++Firelighters are used in England to start fires because everything else is too wet to burn. They are plastic looking white blocks, often used on barbecues.  
  
  
  
Ok, thank you fans and reviewers! 


	10. Memories (light the corners of my mind.....

Chapter 10- Ah, campfire singing  
  
I've got a rocky horror song in here as well. I thought I'd stick it in. At some point I'll have to write a LOTR/Rocky horror song parody fic, but until then, I'll just say that I'm a fan.  
  
Oh yes, the other song that Froda sings is one of my favourite Travis songs, but I can't find the CD and I've forgotten the name. I'll tell you when I remember.  
  
I've prattled for long enough, Enjoy!  
  
_______________  
  
  
  
The sun had set long ago and the fire and the torches they held only cut into the darkness a short way. It had taken a long time to get the fire going properly, and Sam hadn't seen anyone except Merry and Kavamir who brought him wood. Pippin had been with them, helping them as best as possible. Estel, Thorin and Ledron sat in their tent, playing shithead=+. No one had seen Mr Greenleaf or Gimli. He supposed that they were in the wood somewhere. He hadn't seen Froda either. 'Hey! Merry, Come over here!' Merry walked over to Sam.  
  
'Yes master?' he asked in his jokester tone.  
  
'Tell everyone that food is ready.'  
  
'As you wish.' Said Merry. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, 'GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE! DINNERS UP!'  
  
This cry was received. They sat down either side of Sam and held out their plates. Sam ladled the pasta on the plate and they ate it gladly. Thorin appeared from somewhere and sat next to Estel. Sam took his plate and ladled some pasta in it. Thorin took it and tasted it like a food critic.  
  
'Hey, not bad Sammy.' He said with his mouthful.  
  
'Not bad?' said Sam in horror, 'It's a masterpiece!'  
  
'Did I just hear the word masterpiece in connection with food?' asked Kavamir, walking beside Merry. They sat down and Merry ladled out the pasta for both of them. Pippin walked from her tent to the place where the logs had been rolled out. She sat between Merry and Kavamir, equally beside them. She ladled some food onto her plate. She never let it show that she realised that Kavamir and Merry were staring at her.  
  
Estel cleared his throat, 'So, anyone see anything interesting today?'  
  
Pippin dropped her fork with a rattle.  
  
'Nah,' said Thorin, 'Except some cows. I didn't realise that they were meant to be blurry.'  
  
They laughed.  
  
'Well, I think we learned something today,' said Ledron in a mock Jerry Springer voice,' I think we learned that Thorin is an idiot and that city kids should be kept as far away from the countryside as possible.' He flicked his hair back. They laughed again.  
  
'Hello!!' they turned around. Mr Greenleaf stood there and waved at them hopefully. Everyone that didn't face him made a face and sighed. 'I thought that I said that we'd join you for dinner. I'm afraid that Mr Gimli won't be joining us, he said that he had a headache and would got to bed straight away. He needs an early night anyway, he hasn't been getting much sleep recently.'  
  
'How would you kno…' started Merry. The look Pippin and Kavamir gave him would have made a medusa shut up. He closed his mouth after a few seconds. He looked sideways at Pippin. She nodded. He choked on his pasta.  
  
'So, can I have some pasta?' asked Mr Greenleaf. Sam lent over to him and ladled some pasta onto his plate. Mr Greenleaf flashed them all a brittle smile that would make any good housewife go weak at the knee. 'So, how's everyone's day been?'  
  
'Horrifying!' said Sam  
  
'Pointless!' exclaimed Kavamir  
  
'Exhausting!' said Merry forcefully.  
  
'Ok.' Said Pippin.  
  
'I think someone's missing.' Said Estel, 'But I can't quite think who….'  
  
'Maybe it's Xandra.' Said Thorin.  
  
'No Thorin, I know it isn't her.' He said almost in a dream.  
  
'Mr Gimli?' asked Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'No. Just trust me on this.' Said Estel, 'Anyway, probably doesn't matter.' He took another bite. 'Well, we've been travelling all of today, so we haven't had a chance to learn stuff.'  
  
'Err…' said Mr Greenleaf slightly uncomfortably.  
  
'Yeah, when are we going to get to havens, on average Y'know.' said Ledron.  
  
'In a few days.' He said simply.  
  
'So, apart from seeing the heavenly home of elves, what are we going to do?' said Pippin.  
  
'Um…'  
  
'We're studying their culture.' They all turned around. Froda was sitting on the end of the log, next to Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'Oh, you've appeared then.' Said Kavamir with slight distaste.  
  
'Yeah, and I would like something to eat.' She said passing over her plate to him. Kavamir grabbed the spoon and slopped some pasta on it. He swung her a dirty look and passed the plate back to her. Froda took it, giving him a brittle condescending smile.  
  
'Right….' Said Sam, interrupting the following silence, 'so does anyone know any good songs? I brought a guitar with me.' This caused a few of the people there to shuffle away from him.  
  
Froda slowly put down her fork. 'Sam, if you are suggesting we have a sing song, I'll kill you myself.'  
  
'I am.' He said cheerily, 'but I though that maybe we could sing songs we all know.' The stopped as everyone stared at him. 'COME ON! It isn't a camp out unless we sing some dodgey songs.'  
  
'Yeah, and unless you get bitten to death by bugs!' said Pippin. 'There's no way I'm singing!'  
  
'Hey! Don't be hasty.' Said Merry waving his hands to quieten down the cynics,' Kavamir and me have been working on a song for a while now. I mean, it's about a virgin.'  
  
'A New born virgin?' asked Froda sarcastically.  
  
'Nah, a proper one, just pass the guitar over here.' Sam passed it to Merry, who passed it to Kavamir. Kavamir sat were he was, but organised the way he was sitting. Now they knew they were in for a treat. Merry and Kavamir were famous for the amount of dirty songs they had made up, and this seemed to be a new one. He gave a quick intro and Merry stood up. He cleared his throat, and putting on a squeaky female voice he began to sing….  
  
'I was feeling done in  
  
Couldn't win…  
  
I had only ever kissed before'  
  
Kavamir interjected, 'You mean you never….'  
  
'I thought there's was no use getting  
  
Into heavy petting  
  
It only leads to trouble  
  
And seat wetting'  
  
They knew were it was going now. They tried not to show how much they were going to laugh from Mr Greenleaf.  
  
'Now all I want to know  
  
Is how to go  
  
I've tasted blood and I want more'  
  
Kavamir added,' more, more, more'  
  
'I put up no resistance  
  
I want to go the distance  
  
I've got an itch to scratch  
  
I need assistance  
  
Touch a touch a touch me  
  
I want ta be dirty  
  
Thrill me, chill me fulfil me  
  
Creature of the night  
  
Then if anything grows  
  
When you pose  
  
I'll oil you up and rub you down'  
  
Kavamir lifted his eyebrow and said, 'Down, down, down'  
  
'That's only one small fraction  
  
Of the main attraction  
  
You need a friendly hand  
  
And I need action  
  
Touch a touch a touch me  
  
I wanta be dirty  
  
Thrill me, chill me fulfil me  
  
Creature of the night  
  
Touch a touch a touch me  
  
I wanta be dirty  
  
Thrill me, chill me fulfil me  
  
Creature of the night'  
  
By now they were in floods of laughter as Mr Greenleaf blushed from embarrassment. Merry By now was drunk on laughter as he went over to Pippin and pretended to shag her. She was laughing as he pushed her to the ground. Kavamir's expression changed and his playing began to get harsher. Then Merry got up and finished singing.  
  
'Touch a touch a touch me  
  
I wanta be dirty  
  
Thrill me, chill me fulfil me  
  
Creature of the night  
  
OHHHHHHHHHH  
  
Touch a touch a touch me  
  
I wanta be dirty  
  
Thrill me, chill me fulfil me  
  
Creature of the night  
  
Creature of the night  
  
OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'  
  
Merry fell on the floor in a fit of laughter as they all laughed around him. Even Froda was sniggering. Mr Greenleaf wiped his brow with his hand. 'Well Mr Brandybuck, that was different.'  
  
'Different? That was brilliant!' said Kavamir.  
  
'I don't think that would go down very well in the havens.' He said slightly nervously.  
  
'Of course it wouldn't.' Said Ledron, 'But it's funny.'  
  
'I can't wait for more!' said Pippin. 'You guys are writing a play, aren't you? I've seen bits of it. It seems great fun. The sort of thing when the audience dress up and stuff.'  
  
'Yeah, what's it about?' Asked Mr Greenleaf  
  
'A bit hard to explain. It's sort of something you have to see to understand.' Said Merry.  
  
'Well, does anyone else have any songs?' asked Mr Greenleaf.' I think that if we go we should give them a song about now, BUT not that one!' He said a Merry and Kavamir opened their mouths.  
  
Sam said 'Anyone with a non dirty song?'  
  
Froda put her plate on the floor. 'Yeah. I do. Sort of.'  
  
Kavamir passed the guitar to her. She put it on her knee and breathed in, as if remembering the song in her head. She strummed the guitar and said, 'This is something that my dad taught me. He was kind of musical' He voice cracked a little,' could play anything. It's a song he made up for me.'  
  
She strummed the guitar again and sang, hesitantly and a little out of tune to start with, but soon it was in tune,' Take all the goods from all the bads,  
  
And tell the people that you've gone away.  
  
Now lift your head up to the sky…'  
  
________________________  
  
'Now you can tell apart  
  
the black from the white.'  
  
Froda sat one her Dad's knee on the camp site. She herself was between the guitar and his body. He smiled down at her and she smiled back. She squeezed his arm and he strummed the guitar,  
  
' We waste the time they treasure dear.  
  
My only thought is that they could be right.'  
  
Froda smiled in a way that told him to continue. It was about nine and Roland and Mum had gone to bed. They both sat out and watched the embers in the fire die out slowly. She snuggled up to his chest and he smiled at her.  
  
'Oh look their goes another year  
  
About as distant as a shining light.'  
  
___________________  
  
'And I feel safe,  
  
And I feel safe,  
  
So safe  
  
And I feel safe  
  
So safe  
  
So safe'  
  
_________________  
  
'The worlds a small child in the dark,' A twelve year old Froda held onto her father, praying that he would never go. This would be the last time they would be together before he came back from his battle  
  
'And my mind's the same place  
  
as it's always been.' Dad never had much time off, and she treasured all the time she had with him.  
  
'The monsters seem to fade so fast.  
  
Upon the waking of another dream '  
  
Then he went into the chorus she knew so well. And she hoped it would never end  
  
'And I feel safe,  
  
And I feel safe,  
  
So safe  
  
And I feel safe  
  
So safe  
  
An I feel so safe'  
  
_____________________  
  
'I feel so brave,  
  
I'm not afraid of anything they've got to say.  
  
And you're ok because you're tucked away. '  
  
They couldn't believe it. The song was so simple and beautiful. Hopeful yet tinged in some way, an ineffable way, with an everlasting sadness. She seemed to have forgotten that they were watching her as she grew more confident.  
  
_____________________  
  
The man, unaccustomed to hobbit holes lent down to a young Froda of twelve and a quarter years old. Mum had burst into tears when she had been told this horrible fact, but she didn't understand what was wrong. Yet. Froda looked at her mothers tear stained face. Froda's life was going to change in so many ways from this moment onward.  
  
'I'm sorry Froda, 'said the man in his best "Talking to young children" voice, 'I've got some bad news.'  
  
Froda although only twelve had a feeling that it wasn't good. And by the uniform he was wearing she assumed that it was about her dad. She could almost tell what he was about to say, but her mind stopped registering what he was about to say.  
  
The man sighed as if she were stupid. 'Froda, I knew your dad, and he was a fine and upstanding hobbit, but there was an orc and he….' He bowed his head. Froda's eyes widened. She only one hope left. He couldn't be, could he?  
  
'He died in combat. It was an honourable death, so there's no shame in his death. His body was buried around the gates of Cirth Ungul, near the battlefield.' Explained the man in one breath. Froda just looked at him, and burst into tears. He held out his hand to confort him but she backed away and ran out crying to her room. She slammed the door, hard as dad had told her off lots about doing that. She threw herself onto her bed and cried into her pillow. Then, after a while she though of something. In her cracked, choked voice she heard in her head a voice sing softly to her  
  
*Don't go astray,  
  
you've got to be just who are.  
  
Who you are. *  
  
She cried harder, trying to block it out, but it was no use. She thought of others who had seen bad times. What about Frodo, he went through the worst to save the world, but he didn't cry. Froda cried anyway.  
  
_______________________________  
  
'When I was young things didn't last.  
  
My only care stemmed to the price of sweets.  
  
Now I am older I can laugh, '  
  
She didn't look like she could though. Only Sam noticed the way her anger left her eyes and was replaced with sorrow.  
  
'A dolly mixed up guy with rotten teeth'  
  
_____________________________  
  
Froda was twelve and a half now, and had first experienced being left on her own. Roland had gone to school, but Froda was far too young to go and mum had to go to work, to earn money. She stayed in the house, trying to be a good girl.  
  
She often went to her bookcase and read a book or two, as she had learned to read from a copy of the red book. It was old and battered, but it was one of the few things she owned. Most of her best toys were sold to pay for things and she had little left, but a few toys inherited from her brother and a some soft toys so bashed up you could hardly tell what they were.  
  
So Froda went into her Mums room. Most of her mum's nice things were gone now. Although being a soldier did not pay as well as many other jobs, he had many perks and they were confortable. Froda, on a whim opened the draw. Maybe it might have something to play with in it.  
  
* And I feel safe,  
  
And I feel safe*  
  
Inside the draw were some bill, a few coins and a few handkerchiefs. Froda picked out a couple of the nicer ones and went to her room. Went she got their she realised that there was something heavy in them. She let it slide out onto the floor and looked at it.  
  
It was a mithril ring, beautiful and sparkling on the floor. It had a little tag attached to it. She picked it up by the tag and read it. It was written in Dads writing, but it just said two words.  
  
"For Froda."  
  
* So safe  
  
And I feel safe*  
  
She pulled a thread out of her shirt and put the ring around her neck. From that moment she was part of this story.  
  
______________________________  
  
'So safe  
  
And I feel safe,  
  
And I feel safe'  
  
Froda strummed the guitar as she finished the song.  
  
'So safe  
  
And I feel safe  
  
So safe'  
  
They stared at her. Even Ledron, who was naturally musical, looked at her. Finally she looked up. She blinked at them, her long black lashed sweeping over eyes like blinds. She put the guitar on the floor gently and looked up again, aggressively.  
  
'What?' she said, leering at them.  
  
'Err, nothing?' said Ledron.  
  
'Well, that's my song. I'm going to bed.' She passed the guitar to Ledron and stormed off back to her tent. She lay down alone on the hard ground and wriggled into her sleeping bag. She was cold, but she let a single tear roll down her face as she tried to get to sleep through the chorus of laugher and talking outside.  
  
___________________  
  
=+ If you hadn't guessed, shithead is a card game. It's hard to explain, but it's very good fun. Not easy to gamble on though, each round takes at least half an hour.  
  
  
  
Okay then, that is Chapter 10. Whatever, just read and review, it's good fun. Flame me if you must! 


	11. Rescue

Chapter 11-Finally Scarlet Webb gets her cameo!  
  
Or What happen to Xandra  
  
Or chapter 11  
  
Okay, I've given me any my friends cameo roles. So sue me! Maybe I'll get some more reviews this way! Or maybe not….  
  
WARNING! OEDIPUS-LIKE OVERTONES LATER IN CHAPTER!  
  
___________________________  
  
Xandra had been on the tower for a few days now slipping in and out sleep. She had a dreamless sleep because nothing she could imagine could be worse than this. When she woke up she heard orcs cutting down the trees and the screams of people. She wanted to help, she really did, but she couldn't get off the tower, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to do much. Fran had her staff, and Valor knows what he's going to do to me.  
  
She barely stayed alive, even though she was a Myre. Everything that kept her alive was the though of Estel. The though of running her hands through his brown hair, the idea of kissing him, enveloping him until they were at one. Yes, she had given head, and her had fingered her, but they had never actually penetrated each other, she supposed that they had never really thought about it. When, If she got off this forsaken tower and somehow found Estel again, she would do anything that he wanted.  
  
She was about to go to sleep again, somehow too hot and too cold at the same time when a light seemed to float across to her.* I'm going mad * she though, *I've finally cracked * She looked at it. It was slightly rosy coloured, and shined like a star through the black fog.  
  
She opened her eyes fully, the fog stinging them. She held out a hand, trying to snatch the light. It dodged her and then it shouted, 'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!'  
  
Xandra gasped in astonishment. She recognised the voice, even if it wasn't the on e she wanted to hear.  
  
'Scarletwebb, is that you?' she said faintly.  
  
'Err, yes?' said Scarletwebb sarcastically, 'Who else do you know that's ten inches tall, shines like the sun at sunset, floats like a butterfly….'  
  
' And Stings like a bee.' Finished Xandra.  
  
'Hey, the witch remembers me!' said Scarletwebb, clapping her hands together,' Hey, how's it been baby girl!'  
  
'I'm only a hundred years younger!' argues Xandra feebly.  
  
'I haven't seen you for at least one hundred and fifty years when we both left the havens.' Said Scarletwebb changing the subject.' I heard you shacked up with a guy recently' Scarletwebb winked and nudged Xandra.  
  
'Yeah,' said Xandra weakly, 'He's really nice.'  
  
'Who is he! Tell me, I have to know!' Scarletwebb excitedly.  
  
'Oh, this mortal called Estel…' Xandra tried to say casually.  
  
'Estel! Is than as in Estel of Gondor! As in the dude with like a million names and was adopted by Elrond?'  
  
'Nah,' said Xandra waving her hand, 'He died ages ago, don't you keep up with mortal affairs do you?'  
  
'Noooooooooo, I have my city to run, and my husbands to see to…'  
  
'Who's the new guy. Last I heard you had ten husbands and several lovers.'  
  
'Make that seventeen husbands and hundreds of lovers.' Said Scarlet Webb sweeping her hair back.  
  
'Well, I don't meant to sound pushy, but could you get me off this tower?'  
  
Scarlet Webb seemed to suddenly realise where she was. 'Oh yeah, I got a bone to pick with you.' She started, 'Those bloody orcs are cutting down the bloody trees, which are my bloody city, and if you don't bloody well stop them, I'll bloody well do something bloody violent to you!'  
  
'First things first, I can't get down from this tower to stop them, second, I don't have my staff and finally, swearing profusely at me won't change that!'  
  
'It won't?' said Scarlet Webb, genuinely surprised.  
  
'No.' said Xandra. 'Can't you convince an eagle or something to save me?'  
  
'You want me to get an eagle to fly through Isengard? Are you crazy?' Exclaimed Scarlet Webb, 'you really need to get your head sorted out. Probably all that soft living in the shire.'  
  
'Soft living?' exclaimed Xandra, 'I'm not the one who live in a palace!'  
  
'Yeah, but I'm the fairy queen. I need to live like that. You are a witch, and a wandering witch at that! You do not settle down! That the whole point!'  
  
'Well…shut up Scarlet and get me some help.'  
  
Scarlet was flabbergasted. She opened and shut her mouth a few times, then flew off in a huff, complaining about "Stupid big folk".  
  
Xandra put her arms around her knees and watched the little light of hope leave her life. She hoped that she hadn't pissed off Scarlet Webb. Sometimes it was hard to tell when she was joking or not.  
  
She sat on the edge for a few minutes, her feet dangling off the edge of the tower, looking down at all the orcs.  
  
'Sister dearest, do you feel like complying to my wished now?'  
  
She turned around. Yes, Fran was standing behind her, both their staff in his hands. She scrambled up.  
  
'What do you want Fran? Information? Power? Or just revenge.'  
  
'All of them sister. Now I'm the one with the power, not you.'  
  
'Fran, you know what I don't understand?'  
  
'Much, most of the world I expect' said Fran with a hint of venom.  
  
'What I don't understand is why you want to get at me? I'm quiet low down in the order and I've just spent the last decade in the shire at high school. Why are you so intent on killing me?'  
  
'Sister, you're too dangerous to love, you broke my heart. You broke every man's heart you've touched, killed them all. Every mortal. Every single on of them has given up their life for you, but you never gave them what they want. ' He got even more angry as he shouted, 'YOU BROKE MY HEART SISTER, AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE!  
  
'Fran, I never loved you like that. That's why I had to break you. You wanted to fuck me but I'm your sister. You don't do that to your sister!' She shouted back.  
  
'YOU CARE TOO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPECTABILITY!' He screamed back, throwing the staffs to the ground. ,'And your going to pay for that.' He slapped her,' Shut it bitch! Don't make a sound or I'll kill you.'  
  
She saw something fly behind him, and for some reasoned laughed. Then, in the most quiet, foreboding voice she said, 'Fran? You're goin' to die.'  
  
He ignored her, and ripped her top with his hands. She screamed. Then he stopped. He fell backwards onto the ground.  
  
Then she saw a friendly face. It was Sai Queen. Sai Queen pushed the body so it fell on the ground face first. Xandra saw the Sai stuck into his back. Xandra screamed again, but then she embraced the shocked Sai Queen.  
  
They held each other for a while, then Xandra broke the embrace.  
  
'Sai Queen, I haven't seen you for a while.'  
  
'Xandra, forget about that!' said Sai Queen, 'What the hell is going on? Scarlet Webb found me in the area and told me you were in trouble. I came as fast as I could .my men and I searched the area for you, of course killing a few orcs on the way. They told me that you and Fran where on the tower. When I got up here I expected a show down, not for you guys to be bitch fighting!'  
  
'Come on Sai Queen, you know what me and Fran are like in an argument, it's just that this one got more violent than usual.'  
  
'I noticed.' Said Sai queen sarcastically, 'Maybe by the way he slapped you and tried to rip your top open? Seriously, what the hell is going on? There's been a huge movement in orcs and other evils around middle earth in the last few months. Something's going on and I want to know what!'  
  
Xandra shrugged her shoulders and tried to pretend she didn't know what Sai Queen was going on about. 'Hey, if there's something goin' on, why do you suspect me? It's Fran who knows about this sort of thing.'  
  
Sai Queen sighed. 'Xandra, how long have we known each other? Even before we left the havens, whenever something was going on, you were at the bottom of it. Remember when Frodo first came to the havens?'  
  
Xandra grinned, 'Yeah, I don't think that anyone could ever forget!'  
  
Sai Queen looked triumphant. 'I knew you were the one who was at the bottom of that birthday party! Frodo never had a better party! Especially as you and Fran…' They both looked at the body. The bleeding had stopped, but he was still out.  
  
Xandra flicked her long blue hair. 'Don't worry about him. I have a funny feeling that he's not dead. But let's get off this tower. One of his friends will be along in a while. They won't be best pleased.'  
  
'Are you sure…'  
  
'Yes, just trust me. I'll explain later what's going on, we've just gotta go now!' Xandra's voice began to get impatient and edgy.  
  
'Okay, okay, just a minute! I don't think whoever's at the bottom of this has got word of this yet. I'll get you to our camp, then we'll talk. First of all, I'd like to introduce you to my pegasi Orlando.' She waved her hand over to the stunning white winged horse braying on the edge of the tower.  
  
'Hello Orlando' said Xandra, slightly bemused.  
  
Sai queen jumped on his back and he bucked slightly, but she had him under her full control. Xandra jumped on after Sai Queen and held onto her waist for dear life.  
  
'I like horses. Then why is this so scary?'  
  
'Your just not used to him yet.' Said Sai Queen. 'Just hold on and for Valor's sake don't look down.'  
  
Xandra closed her eyes tightly and didn't let go until Sai queen said, 'Err…. Xandra…. I think you're killing me. I…can't…. Breathe.'  
  
Xandra opened her eyes. They were on the ground. Xandra grinned coquettishly and let go, going slightly red. They were in the middle of a forest and to be frank, Xandra didn't care wear they were, until she one question had been answered for her.  
  
'Sai Queen, I haven't eaten for like three days. Do you have any food?'  
  
_________________________  
  
'So, I go into Gandalf's office, and he's like, "You gotta go and visit your brother" ' said Xandra, eating half of a small pig, 'and I'm like,"Ok, but I've got this trip Tomorrow", and he's like put it off.'  
  
A few minutes later…  
  
'So I go to Erid Nimras, and I go into Fran's flat. And he's like all weird…'  
  
A few MORE minutes Later…  
  
'and he tells me that he's killed Radagas.'  
  
'Radagas is dead!' said the elfin queen shocked. 'The bastard killed him?'  
  
'Yes Sais queen. I still can't believe it. Then he sends me to this tower, and I'm there for like three days. Then I think you know what happens next.'  
  
'Yeah, but that doesn't explain why he tried to kidnap you and why all this bad shits going down in middle earth?'  
  
Xandra put down the bone. She took a large breath and said, 'Well, it's kind of hard to explain, buuutttttt, if I put it this way, you might make some sense….'  
  
'Just the facts Xandra. I am in no mood to be fucked around!'  
  
Xandra lent away as Sais queen reached for her Sai, 'Well, when you put it that way…'She took a very deep breath, and then very quickly said...  
  
'THERE-WAS-ANOTHER-RING-OF-POWER-FORGED-AND-SOME-HOBBIT-WHO-I-KNOW-FOUND-IT- AND-GANDALF-SENT-ME-TO-FIND-OUT-MORE-ABOUT-IT-AND-THAT'S-WHY-EVERYTHING-HAS- BEEN-GOING-EVIL-FOR-THE-LAST-FEW-MONTHS-AND-I-STOLE-THE-COOKIES-FROM-THE- COOKIE-JAR!'  
  
'Xandra, none of that made any sense whatsoever from the words there was another ring forged, to the word cookie.' Said Sai queen, looking completely confused.  
  
'Err…Another ring of power was forged, like the one Frodo threw into mordor. I think you can guess the rest from that.'  
  
Sais queen's mouth opened slowly as her eyes got wider. Then, after far to long, she said lamely,  
  
'Oh. I have a funny feeling that that isn't good.'  
  
Xandra grinned at her and continued to explain. After a lot longer Sais queen knew the full story as best as Xandra could explain it.  
  
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Sais Queen replied, 'Well, to put it lightly, you're in a bit of a pickle. '  
  
'So what do I do now? All I know is that Sauron knows about the ring and that I'm in big shit with Fran and his new mates.'  
  
'Well, what I'd do would be to go to the havens and ask Elrond what to do.' Said Sais queen.  
  
'Heyyyyyyyy that isn't a bad idea!' said Xandra, as if realising something. 'And you can come with me!'  
  
'Yeah, we can reminisce and talk about old times past!' shouted Sais Queen getting excited.  
  
'Hellooooooooooo someone pay attention to the beautiful fairy here!' They both turned around to see Scarlet Webb floating in the air behind them.  
  
'Hey! Scarlet Webb!' shouted Sais queen hugging the minuscule fairy.  
  
'Hey Sais Queen 'said Scarlet Webb, choking in their embrace, 'could you let go? You're squashing me!'  
  
Sais queen let go and apologised vaguely.  
  
'Scarlet Webb, do you happen to have a steed of some sort hanging around this place? Sais Queen and I desperately need to get to the havens.'  
  
Scarlet Webb lent back into the air and said, cracking her knuckles,' Well Xandra, this is your lucky day! I have been working with a herd of Unicorns and I found a horse among them. It hasn't been broken in yet or nothin', but it's a fine horse as horses go. Well hung.' Scarlet Webb winked.  
  
'Great. What's his name?'  
  
'Dunno. He didn't tell me.' Said Scarlet seriously.  
  
'In honour of what this may turn out to be….' Said Sais Queen, 'I'd call him Shadowfax.'  
  
_________________________  
  
Okay, chapter 11 is up, finally! Also, as a note from the last chapter, Safe from Travis is one of my favourite songs at the moment, with many others. 


	12. Dreams

Chapter 12: Dreams  
  
A few notes. Some one told me that having a female Pippin character was confusing, so from now on, she will be called Pippa.  
  
This is chapter 12. Whoo and Yay! I am so happy.  
  
If anyone has any requests of funny things to happen/do at the havens, please, please, please e-mail me or leave your ideas with your review.  
  
Also: Blood should have been a higher rating, but I was too lazy to change the rating.  
  
Thank you!  
  
_____________________  
  
It was about midnight when Pippa crawled into Froda's tent. Froda kept absolutely still. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She felt stupid enough being found cutting herself. She had never been found out before. Well, not by anyone outside her family anyway. She made sure that she was turned away from Pippa, as she didn't want to speak to her.  
  
Pippa wriggled into her sleeping back, and lay down on the ground next to Froda. They both lied their, quiet, the silence of quiet anger mixed with concern deafening them. Then, after a very one minute, Pippa said,' Froda, are you awake?'  
  
Froda kept quiet. Incrimination filled the air. She stared at the canvas on her side of the tent.  
  
'Froda?' persisted Pippa, 'Are you awake? Froda? Froda?'  
  
Froda gave up trying to ignore her. 'Hmmmf?'  
  
'Mr Greenleaf just shooed us off to bed.' Explained Pippa. She went silent again. Then, after a few seconds she said, 'I liked your song.' With a voice of sincere pity, which Froda hated.  
  
'Not my song.' Said Froda gruffly, 'It was my dads. I just know it. He's dead'  
  
Pippa was quiet again for a few more seconds. 'He's dead?'  
  
'Uh uh.' Froda tried to ignore Pippa.  
  
Pippa tried to change the air in the tent. 'You miss your Dad don't you?' she asked.  
  
'I was only little when he died.' Said Froda non-committaly.  
  
'You didn't answer me.' Said Pippa, 'Do you miss him? You don't talk about him much. I didn't even know he was dead!'  
  
'He wasn't an important person, just a soldier for the white council!' Said Froda. 'Just leave me alone.'  
  
'Do you miss him?' she asked.  
  
Froda sat up and gave Pippa a black look. 'What do you think? Of course I DO! He was my bloody father! I LOVED him, I still do! Just shut up!'  
  
'Hey, no need to get defensive!' said Pippa backing away, 'I was just asking.'  
  
'Yeah, and why?' half-shouted Froda,' 'cause I hurt myself! A piece of good gossip for you! You don't care! Why should you!'  
  
'That is just so unfair!' shouted Pippa back.  
  
'Your dad goes to work, and your mum stays at home. You live in a nice hole with a white picket fence around the garden!' Shouted Froda at Pippa,' You don't know what it's like to never stay in one place for longer than a few months, or not have your mum notice whether you come home at night or not! You think life is easy, but it's not!'  
  
'Hey, just because your life is fucked up, there's no need to shout at me!' shouted Pippa back, 'I didn't cause your life to be crap! I can't help having a family that love me, or money, or long gold hair, I just got given it!'  
  
They both started at each other with expressions of hate, panting heavily.  
  
Them, after what seemed like forever Froda let a tear drop from her eye, and her voice cracked. 'You are such a bitch. Such a lucky bitch. That's why I hate you.'  
  
'Look, I'm sorry…' started Pippa, realising that she had made things worse.  
  
'I know I'm not beautiful like you,' Froda started, crying a little heavier, 'I know I've got nothing at the end of the day, but you don't need TO FUCKING RUB IT IN!'  
  
'Froda…'  
  
'My life is worth nothing, just one less person in the world. I could never be important enough to change even the tinniest fucking thing.' Froda was crying now, the tears choking her works into obscurity,' I know that, so just leave me alone.'  
  
'Froda, we need to talk and I know you want to as well.' Said Pippa.  
  
'Why?' Froda laughed hollowly,' It's not like we have anything to talk about. I cut myself, I bleed, end of story!'  
  
'Froda, you hurt yourself!' stressed Pippa, 'That's not healthy!'  
  
'I know it isn't!' shouted Froda, 'Tell me something my Mum hasn't tried to stop me cutting myself….' Froda stopped. She had said FAR too much.  
  
'What! Your mum knows about this and hasn't tried to stop you?' said Pippa gasping.  
  
'Nah. Never had the time.' Froda spat. 'Always a more important job or one of Ronald's award ceremonies or something.'  
  
Pippa just stared at her in disbelief. Froda just smiled angrily and continued with a lump in her throat. 'Yeah, always sommit more important. Always been that way since Dad died. Sometimes, I think mum blames me, 'cause we were so close. '  
  
'Froda, from what I know it wasn't your fault.' Said Pippa putting her hand on her shoulder.  
  
'Yeah, right.' Laughed Froda disbelieving, 'That's what everyone said, but it doesn't stop the guilt. I KILLED HIM' she let a new sob burst out of her, 'I killed him and can't do anything about it! Then one day, when I was about thirteen I didn't want to go on. You think I'm a freak, don't you?'  
  
'Well….' Pippa couldn't answer.  
  
'I had jus' been beaten up at school again for bein' different. I wasn't a Goth all my life, I just became one out of self-defence. People don't pick on you so much if they think you can chew their liver out. Well, this time they just did it for the fun of it, and I realised that I actually enjoyed it when they hit me and kicked Me.'  
  
Froda flicked some of her long black hair out of her face. 'I didn't enjoy it actually, I just found it…relieving, as if some of the guilt has left me. I remember just taking a knife and cutting my arms. The sight of the red blood flowing out of me seemed as if someone had let me relax, as if I had been allowed to unwind. Finally, allowed. And in control.'  
  
Froda rolled up her sleeves. The angry scars and bruises up and down her arms screamed at Pippa to help Froda.  
  
'See? This is the TRADE I make. I can leave off the guilt and relax at the price of blood.' Froda scratched at a thin line of congealed blood. Pippa just stared. It was less skin on her arm than a cross wire of cuts and old scabs and blood. The rest of Froda was as white as a sheet, but her arms were red and sore.  
  
Pippa slapped Froda's scratching hand. 'Don't scratch it! You'll only make it worse!'  
  
'You just don't get it, do you?' said Froda so quietly that only they heard, 'that's the point! From who I am, do I deserve beauty?'  
  
'Froda, you really need some help!' said Pippa, 'Please let me try to help you…'  
  
'The only help I need is death!' Said Froda and rolled up her sleeves.  
  
'Froda, I can help you!'  
  
'NO!' they both stopped. Then Froda struggled out of her sleeping bag and crawled out the tent as fast as she possibly could, the tears running down her face.  
  
~  
  
She had been plunged into complete darkness and ran forward, tripping over a tent peg or two. She slipped the ring on and disappeared into the night. Sort of. The whole place turned a translucent grey, as if she could practically blow away the trees in front of her. She found this wasn't so soon, but the whole place seemed bathed in a sort of perpetual strong moonlight. It wasn't warm, as it was all very cold, but it almost blinded her.  
  
She vaguely heard cries coming from the tent, but she ignored them. They didn't make sense, they sounded contorted, weird, as if someone had sent the waves of sound through a black hole and out the other side. She ran through the grey, wispy tees and towards the river. Everywhere she looked she saw a large fiery eye looking at her, leering and a soft voice calling out to her. The voice wasn't threatening, no, it was passed that. She could feel her spin chilling every time she heard the voice. It had a quality of a person who had gone mad and gone the other side to super sanity.  
  
'Frodaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,' It called in a voice so cold and soft, 'Frodaaaaaaaaaa, where are you? '  
  
She turned around. She saw a young man leaning on a tree. He wore red wizard's robes and lent against a tree. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he definitely wasn't ugly. Although he wore red robes, his eyes were blue, in a glassy, faded way. She looked at him. In his hand he held a staff.  
  
He had been staring at the floor, but when he felt Froda's glare, he looked up.  
  
'Frodaaaaa, do you know why I'm here?' he asked. Each word made her back fell as if someone had dropped ice down her shirt. She stood routed to the spot.  
  
'N, n, n, no.' she stuttered.  
  
'Froda, I know what you want. I know that you miss your Father.'  
  
She stared at him, her face contorting between fear and anger. How dare he claim to know about her! No one knew about her, no one!  
  
He laughed hollowly at her. 'I know that you don't believe me. I know you think that I'm just lying, but if I didn't know you, would I know how much your own mother hates you?'  
  
'MY MUM LOVES ME!' she shouted at him.  
  
'If she loves you,' he said, a nasty grin spreading over his face,' Why doesn't she care that you've been out late every night for a year, or that you haven't eaten a proper meal since grade eight or that her only daughter cuts herself to see how much it bleeds?'  
  
'SHUT UP!!'  
  
'You see,' he said, tilting his head to one side, 'She doesn't love you. I bet you don't even have a…friend.'  
  
'I have a friend!' she shouted at the figure, but it was no use. She knew what he was saying was true. How could she go on like this? No one loved her, looked out for her, not even her own family. The only person she had faith in had betrayed her.  
  
The man just smiled unbelievingly at her. 'Y'know what Froda, ' he lent closer to her, 'I can give you what you want. I can give you a family. '  
  
'A loving family' She said, unable to conceal her delight at the offer.  
  
'Yes,' He gave her a toothy grin, like a predatory animal, 'a family that would love a little hobbit girl, just like you. There are plenty out there for you. I can in fact tell you of seven, but there is no time for that now. ' He held his hand. His own hand was cold, as if warmth had never touched it. 'Froda, just give it up.'  
  
'What?'  
  
The man stroked the ring on her finger. She pulled her hand out of his. 'Oh no,' she shock her head,' I'm not giving my ring up to you!'  
  
'Froda, just give it up. It's your link to the past. Give it up or you'll be stuck here with people who hate you, and a family who don't love you. '  
  
'NO!'  
  
'GIVE IT TO ME!'  
  
'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'  
  
The man started to look angry! 'I TRIED NICE, BUT NOW I'M TAKING IT BY FORCE!'  
  
Suddenly a man all in black came out of the shadows, from in between the fog like trees. Froda screamed. It was the same man who had tried to hurt her in the alleyway, but her was different. He wore the same clothes, but he seemed to have a different body shape, maybe a little taller. He held a long knife in his hand, but she peered underneath the black exterior.  
  
Underneath she saw an old man. Tired, but old and looked as if he had once been a noble man, but now he was just a slave. Not a face of a man, waiting for someone to free him, but the face of a man waiting of immortality to end, and die, but for death to kept a hairs breath away all the time.  
  
He brought the knife down into her shoulder. She squeaked as the pain surged around her left arm. The blade left her body, but not in tact. It has left a splinter. She saw the blood drip slowly down the knife.  
  
Then, like an avenging ghost, she saw the shadowy figure of Mr Greenleaf run from in between the cloudy trees with a long torch of fire. His face, usually full of laughter and nothing but good humour had suddenly become hand and serious. He brought the fire down onto the black figure and kept hitting the figure with the stick, spreading the fire.  
  
The black rider let out a scream of pain mixed with angry disappointment. The rider ran off into the forest, screaming. She quickly slipped the ring off.  
  
~  
  
The world seemed solid again. She put the ring around her neck again and let out a sob. Fear poisoned her insides, and it seemed to be spreading from her shoulder to the rest of her body. She lay on the ground and felt as if she had a fever. Shaking she waited for everything to make sense.  
  
Mr Greenleaf ran through the woods back to her, wielding the torch. He knelt down at her side and held her by the shoulder. He looked into her eyes, his own full of concern and a nobly she hadn't seen before. She looked at him, her eyes full up with tears. Finally She let out a sob and started to cry. Legolas wrapped his long arms around her and cradled her like a child. She held him tight, never wanting to let go. Mr Greenleaf in his soft, comforting voice whispered, 'Shh, don't cry. The rider's gone. I'll make sure you're safe.'  
  
'It hurts…' she moaned, rubbing her shoulder, 'It hurts…'  
  
'Don't worry, they're gone now…'  
  
She stroked his long white hair and sobbed. Then she realised that eight other pairs of eyes where boring into her neck, but she no longer cared. Soon everyone would find out that she wasn't quiet as everyone though.  
  
Mr Greenleaf made sure that she was okay before he let go of her and said, 'Go on Miss Baggins, back to your tent. No more riders will come without me knowing about it.'  
  
She believed him. He had changed somehow. He was longer the well meaning, enthusiastic teacher, but the brave strong caring elf. She suddenly knew that he was more than he seemed. He could almost be the elf from the red book.  
  
So, as he took up watch with Mr Gimli and all of them returned to their tents, Froda wondered if someone she loved would be in the havens.  
  
___________________________________  
  
Frodo sat in a field in the havens. He sat, reading a book as Sam walked across the field to him. Frodo although well over two hundred years old, looked barley out of his tweens, and Sam looked just about the same age.  
  
'Sam,' he commented, putting down his book, 'you seem to look younger every day.'  
  
'Maybe it's this place master Frodo, or maybe it's just us.' Sam smiled. Frodo laughed. He got up and took Sam by the hand.  
  
'Sam, do you ever miss…the shire?'  
  
'Sure I do Master Frodo, I'd like to know what had happened to my family for one thing, but I think this is a little more than my family you want to talk about.'  
  
'Y'know Sam, I regret not having a family like yours. You were happy, and if you went back, you would have your family, but I won't. '  
  
'Mr Frodo....'  
  
'No Sam,' Frodo seemed to wave away such thoughts, 'I'm not leaving like Bilbo did. I don't even think I could, but I do miss the shire.' Frodo looked over the hills and sighed again. 'I wish I had a child to pass on after me.'  
  
'I wish we had some news of the shire,' said Sam.  
  
'That would be a blessing.' Said Frodo in a dreamy voice, 'But who would come to the havens?'  
  
'I heard that some new people will be coming with Legolas and Gimli.' Said Sam sitting down and fiddling with a stone.  
  
'LEGOLAS AND GIMLI ARE COMING TO THE HAVENS!' shouted Frodo shocked.  
  
'Didn't you know master Frodo?' asked Sam mildly shocked.  
  
'No I didn't! Come on Sam' Frodo pulled him up, 'We've got a lot planning to do!'  
  
_____________________________  
  
If you enjoyed this fanfiction, why not read another one by Xandra the blue?  
  
I hope to put a new story called Amethyst up soon, and although unrelated to this story, I just thought I'd tell you for no good reason.  
  
Please review, flame or just type inane, and possibly obscene sentence fragments. They all brighten my day.  
  
*He hem* Okay, I gotta go now. 


	13. Human culture gets everywhere

Chapter 13: Human Culture gets everywhere  
  
_____________________  
  
'Xandra, just take a stick, they're all the same!' Shouted Scarlet Webb.  
  
Xandra was now at the bottom of a pile of various long sticks and staffs on the edge of Isengard  
  
'It's just that.. they aren't the same as my old staff!' she cried out.  
  
'Xandra, we've been here for two hours!' said Sais Queen yawning,' Just take a stick and come with us!'  
  
'Look, you can either be logical, or you can help me. You can't do both.' Xandra threw a stick into another pile. Then she picked out a stick, which seemed exactly the same as the others in the pile. She looked at it and sighed. Then she held it in her hands for a moment, with her eyes closed.  
  
Sai Queen and Scarlet Webb felt a slight change in the air as Xandra genuflected to the staff, then, it was all over. Then Xandra straightened up and walked over too them.  
  
'Well, I've got my new staff. Let's go.'  
  
'Xandra, before we get to the havens, don't you think you should change?' Asked Sais queen. They both looked at Scarlet Webb and then at Xandra. Scarlet Webb was wearing big combats and a tight T-shirt with the logo "porn star" on it. Xandra definitely needed a new top.  
  
She then looked at Sais queen in her black polo neck and flared jeans with some armour over the top of it.  
  
'Well, time to see if it works.' Xandra turned to Sais Queen and Scarlet Webb,' Turn around and shut your eyes. This isn't going to be nice.'  
  
They did so. There was a shift in the air and then Xandra said, 'Have a look.'  
  
She now wore a pair of dark blue grunger trousers, a blue corset top and long black gloves. Her hair was now tied back with a black scrunche and she wore a nervous smile on her face.  
  
'Nah.' Said scarlet Webb shaking her head, 'Not really the sort of thing for the havens.'  
  
Xandra sighed and they turned around. When they turned back she was wearing blue traditional robes, but kept the black gloves and hair tie. Xandra didn't really like it.  
  
~  
  
'I spy with my little eye something beginning with.. Gee.'  
  
Sais queen gave Xandra a look of desperation. 'I dunno, Maybe,' she said sarcastically, 'GRASS? It's been grass, fields and cows for the last few miles Scarlet Webb, maybe we should stop playing I spy!'  
  
'I wonder how Estel is.' Xandra wondered aloud. The both looked at her, mortified.  
  
'Estel?' asked Sais queen, 'You go out with a guy called Estel?'  
  
'What did you expect, a vegetable?' asked Xandra.  
  
'Xandra, you've finally got a boy friend!' said Sais queen excitedly, 'All I need to do is find Legolas and we can have a triple marriage!'  
  
Xandra's face went pail. Then, delicately she asked, 'You never got over Legolas did you?'  
  
'Got over him? Never! I haven't dated since I last met him. He said that she would marry me, just before he went off with the fellowship.' Then she seemed crestfallen,' I never saw him again.'  
  
Xandra suddenly developed an interest in her feet. There was a very uncomfortable silence.  
  
'I spy with my little eye.' started scarlet Webb.  
  
'Shut UP!' said Sais Queen and Xandra together. Then, they all laughed.  
  
_______________________________  
  
'Froda, you're sharing the compartment with me and Mr Gimli today.' Shouted Mr Greenleaf as he piled the bags on top of the cart.  
  
Froda sat far away from everyone else, shivering. She was trying to read a book, but she was white and pail. As Mr Greenleaf said this she swallowed and looked up at him, even her head shaking slightly.  
  
Froda felt dizzy and nauseous. She hadn't felt like this for a long time, since her first year at the school in Bree. She had been ill, and anyone could tell to look at her, but she still had to go to school. Mum couldn't take the time off and she wasn't allowed to stay in the house on her own. She had to throw up in front of the whole hall of people within an hour of reaching school. She had from then on been known as "Vomit girl." She felt as if she were going to vomit again. She had been thinking so much about this that she had barely noticed that they were all waiting for her.  
  
'Froda, are you coming, or am I going to have to carry you?' shouted Mr Greenleaf jokingly from the truck.  
  
That's the sort of thing that dad would have said, Froda though, am I would have said no, and he would have carried me. For some reason, all the worst things in her life were coming back to her. She remembered all of her schools, the segregation and the first time she had come home with a cracked rib. Even worse was her memories of the best of times. They made all the other times even more unbearable.  
  
She got up, still trembling, walked towards the cart. She got in as Mr Greenleaf helped her in. She felt as if her sense of reality had been compromised, as if her stomach could still be in the shire, and she could be in this cart.  
  
She looked out of the window as Mr Gimli suddenly decided to sit outside with the horses. At the cart gently rocked they both stayed silent for a few minutes longer.  
  
Then, Froda plucked up her courage. 'Mr Greenleaf, I'd like to thank you for what you did last night.'  
  
'Froda,' Suddenly Mr Greenleaf went serious, 'Do you know how much trouble you were in just then? Do you really understand the dangers of that ring you wear?' Before Froda could speak he interrupted,' No, I don't think you do. I can tell that you haven't been listening in my classes.'  
  
'You know what I saw,' she said quietly. Every word she said hurt her, as if she had a cheese grater rubbed through her brain.  
  
'What?'  
  
'A Man. A man with red hair and red robes and evil glint. He told me that he could give me what I wanted in my life, just for the ring.' She looked at him meaningfully, 'Y'know, just for a second, I could have taken it. For a second there I decided that I could give it up. But I couldn't give it to him. I knew that he was evil. I knew I had to make sure he didn't get it.'  
  
'What did he offer you Froda?'  
  
She refused to answer.  
  
'Froda, what did he offer you?' he asked more seriously again.  
  
She looked away from him and said in a small voice 'A loving family.'  
  
This remark made Legolas think. Why would Sauron offer anyone that? Power, money and sexual fulfilment was more his thing, why a loving family?  
  
'Oh.' He said. Then he wondered,' Froda, why did you leave your tent last night?'  
  
'No reason' she interjected quickly.  
  
'Froda, you were crying.'  
  
'No reason.' Even though smiling made her head throb, she gave him a wide glassy grin, 'Nothing wrong with me.'  
  
'Froda, are you..'  
  
'Yes!' she said with desperate brightness, 'I'm fine!'  
  
Legolas couldn't stop himself. This was stupid. How could she deny everything to him? Legolas knew when Frodo was trying to hide something, and he could tell the same in Froda. They were almost the same in many ways. He grabbed her wrist and pulled up the sleeve of her jumper. Legolas had killed orcs in bloody manners before and never blinked an eyelid, but this was horrendous! The red, sore arms like a patchwork quilt of blood, blotchy skin and congealed scabs.  
  
He let go. His eyes were wide in fear. He swallowed. Froda rolled down her sleeves and glared at him. Legolas had been told about this, but he never thought that it would be like this. This was horrible. Froda tucked the horrible arms into her body and lent over them. Legolas though that she looked pretty bad as she was. The while, blood drained skin, the eyes swelling up in tears of pain and the down turned mouth trying to hid something. She looked like she was about to be sick.  
  
Froda closed her eyes and looked out of the window. She could hear the noise of people laughing in the compartment behind her. They just made her feel worse. She felt as if the nausea and pain was flooding from her shoulder, no matter how stupid that sounded. Her head thumped. What Froda wanted was a glass of water, and to lie down. She held her shoulder and squeezed it, increasing the pain, but making it feel better. Less a dull throb to something she could actually relate to. She swallowed again. She breathed in though a gap in her teeth.  
  
'What is it?' Asked Mr Greenleaf with concern.  
  
'I don't mean to worry you, but last night, the rider you set on fire stabbed me with a knife on my shoulder. ' She rolled up her sleeves again, showing were the cutting stopped except for the slightly bloody wound on her shoulder.  
  
He couldn't take being the concerned teacher any more. He became the angry elf. He went onto the top compartment and grabbed the reins off Gimli.  
  
'Hey, What do you think you're doing Legolas!' he said as Legolas made the horses run faster.  
  
'I just found out that Froda been stabbed with a morgal blade and she's go some left in the wound.' He passed the reins back to Gimli, then he went back into Froda's compartment. ______________________  
  
'Are you sure we can hitch a lift Sais Queen?' asked Scarlet Webb, 'because, I don't mean to be a worry wossy, but we've been here for the last few hours an no-ones come a long the road.'  
  
'Shut up Scarlet Webb.'  
  
Xandra suddenly saw a cart hurtling towards then at high speed.  
  
'Guys, pick up your bags, we're about to get a lift.' Sais Queen and Scarlet Webb took their bags off Shadowfax and pulling the horse along, waited by the edge of the road.  
  
The cart kept moving, not slowing down to pick them up. Xandra gave up. She pointed her staff at the road, and with an earthquake, made the road shake. The road separated in two.  
  
'There!' she said, 'They'll have to stop for us now!'  
  
As the cart came closer Xandra recognised the driver. 'Hey! That's my sports teacher! They must be going the same way as us! To the havens.'  
  
'Sports teacher?' asked Scarlet Webb.  
  
'I've been in high school for that last three years. Humour me.'  
  
'Weren't you meant to be on a school trip?' asked Sais Queen.  
  
'Yes! With Estel.'Suddenly Xandra stopped. 'Please Scarlet, whatever you do, don't ask him if we've done it yet and try not in embarrass me. We both love each other, and I don't want you guys ruining my chances with him.'  
  
'Since when have I ever tried to embarrass you?' asked Scarlet Webb.  
  
Sais Queen and Xandra both looked at her.  
  
'Ok then,' said Scarlet, rethinking her strategy,' when have I tried to embarrass you in the last.. Five minutes?'  
  
'Went you attached some cans to the end of my robe.' Answered Xandra.  
  
'And when you replaced my armour polish with vasiline.' Said Sais Queen.  
  
Scarlet Webb was quiet for a minute. Then, as if she were telling them some philosophical question she said, 'Fuck you guys.'  
  
Just the look on her face was enough to make them laugh.  
  
The cart came to a stop and Gimli shouted to Legolas, 'Their a hole in the road, we'll have to turn back.'  
  
Legolas jumped out of the cart. 'Right, I'll see this hole, then I'll.'  
  
As he came out and jumped onto the road he saw Xandra, Sais Queen and Scarlet Webb. His mouth opened at the sight of Sais Queen waiting beside the road.  
  
'Legolas?'  
  
'Sais Queen?'  
  
'Mr Greenleaf?' asked Xandra.  
  
'Xandra?'  
  
'Legolas?'  
  
'Sais Queen?'  
  
'Mr Greenleaf??'  
  
'Xandra??'  
  
'Legolas?!?'  
  
'Sais Queen?!?'  
  
'Mr Greenleaf?!?'  
  
'Xandra??????'  
  
'Legolas??????'  
  
'Sais Queen??????'  
  
'Mr Greenleaf??????'  
  
'Xandra????????'  
  
'Scarlet Webb????????' They all turned to look at her. 'Sorry, but that was getting tedious.'  
  
'What's going on?' asked Xandra.  
  
'A little one got stabbed with a morgul blade. I need to get her to the havens as fast as possible.' Explained Legolas.  
  
'Legolas, since when did you go into teaching?' asked Sais Queen.  
  
'There is no time for that now!' Exclaimed Legolas, ' I need you to put the road back so I can get there!'  
  
'No need Legolas,' said Sais Queen, 'I am a swift rider.' She winked at him, 'And I shall get that young hobbit to the Havens faster than you ever could.'  
  
'All right Sais Queen. Do you have a steed?'  
  
'Yes, our horse Shadowfax.'  
  
'Yes. Well, I shall give her to you. But be careful. She already suffers.'  
  
'NO!' shouted Xandra, 'Is this Froda you talk about? She needs to ride with someone she knows. I shall go.'  
  
'WHAT!' said Scarlet Webb, Legolas and Sais Queen together.  
  
'You will ride to the sea?' said Legolas, 'And sail across it alone?'  
  
'Sorta.' Said Xandra, 'Actually, we sent a message to the havens a bit ago. They'll be expecting those two and me. I don't think they'll mind if I turn up with Froda.' And Frodo's going to be there, she though, it'll be a shock for him.  
  
'Well, if you're sure..' The Legolas ran into the cart.  
  
________________  
  
'What's going on?' asked Froda.  
  
'Come on Froda, you're going to the havens.' He lifted her out. For a hobbit she was quiet light he though, but he ignored the thought and pasted her to Xandra.  
  
Xandra put Froda on the horse and then jumped on herself. Then she lifted her staff and created another horse.  
  
'Sais Queen, come with me. This needs both of us.'  
  
'But.'  
  
'GET ON THE GOD DAMN HORSE!' She shouted at Sais Queen. Sais Queen got gingerly on the horse. Then Xandra fixed the hole she had made in the road, and they both rode off.  
  
________________________  
  
'Why didn't you let me stay with Legolas Xandra? I want an explanation!' shouted Sais queen as they galloped across country.  
  
'Because I wanted you to come with me!' lied Xandra badly,' And I'm not sure if I can go on much longer on my own.'  
  
'Xandra.'  
  
'Sais queen, we'll be at the coast in under and hour, now shut up and ride! I don't know how long Froda's got.'  
  
Froda was only half awake as she listened into the conversation. For most of the journey they had been bickering and talking, like old friends. Why would a human know an elf? Froda had assumed that Xandra didn't have any friends outside of school, but now she knew she was wrong.  
  
'Froda will be fine! Elrond is on that boat, he can heal anyone.'  
  
'Sais Queen that isn't the point!'  
  
'Yes it is! Why wouldn't you let me stay with Legolas?'  
  
'To be honest Sais's, I didn't even recognise him, he's changed loads. I mean, the first time I met him, he was a Nobel elf trying not to be killed.'  
  
'And you were Gandalf's nervous apprentice.'  
  
'And Gandalf's changed. I don't want you to get hurt, that's all.'  
  
'So what if he's different? Legolas is still the same elf who I fell in love with.'  
  
Xandra sighed,' But did he fall in love with you?'  
  
Sais Queen narrowed her eyes,' What. Are. You. Implying' she said in a voice so menacing that she felt Xandra shrink back.  
  
'Nothin' ' said Xandra, 'I just don't know if after all this time things have changed..'  
  
'Changed? How could things cha..' Sais Queen would have finished this sentence, but she saw a flicker of black.  
  
Xandra turned white as she saw the two black riders coming up behind her. Suddenly she shouted, 'COME ON SAIS QUEEN, WE'VE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!' then to her horse, 'HO! SHADOWFAX!'  
  
The horse began to gallop as Froda felt herself being bopped up and down. There were more black riders coming, more and more surrounding them, until it was the fateful nine. Sais Queen sped up her horse, trying to keep up with Shadowfax.  
  
Then, Xandra stopped. Sais Queen caught up and looked at her. Then she shouted, 'WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!??'  
  
'Sais, take Froda. Don't argue, just go'  
  
'But.'  
  
'JUST GO! Wait for me at the boat. If I'm not there in five minutes, or the ring wraiths come, forget you ever saw me. I never existed.'  
  
'Xandra.'  
  
'JUST GO!' she shouted back. There was a flash of blue in her eyes and Sais Queen automatically took Froda and tried to ride out of there as fast as possible.  
  
The ring wraiths stopped and looked at her. They had never come across anyone who just stood in the road waiting for them. This was a strangely un- nerving experience.  
  
'Okay Wraiths,' she said in a voice, faaaaaaaaaaaaaar to calm,' You can either turn back and pretend you never saw us, or I'll have to flame you, and I don't like having to flame you.'  
  
The ring wraiths looked at them as best as they could through the black hoods. If they had faces, a smile, no, a smirk would have crossed them as they tried not to laugh.  
  
The ring wraiths laughed at her. The laughter sounded like several birds having a fight, but Xandra sat smiling on the horse. 'So are you going back, or will I have to flame you?'  
  
The witch king raised his hand and stuck up his middle finger at her. Xandra smiled, and then, in a sea of calmness, held up her staff.  
  
______________________  
  
'I can't believe I'm doing this!' muttered Sais as she got off the horse and put Froda over her shoulder, 'This is worse than the time with the snakes........'  
  
Sais Queen turned around as she saw something move in the shadows next to the shore. Sais Queen turned around again. She saw something at the edge of her eye. Then, she saw it again. She reached down into her belt and turned around slowly. She saw it move again..  
  
WHOOSH!  
  
The Sai in her belt whizzed through the air like a demented firework. There was a twang as whatever she had thrown it at was pinned to the ground. She turned around yet again to see Frodo pinned down to the ground, writhing slightly as he tried to get the Sai out of his cloak.  
  
He looked up, panicking slightly into Sai Queen gently brown eyes as she herself took a breath.  
  
'Hello Sais,' said Frodo cheerfully, 'it's nice to see you again. Maybe next time you could try NOT to throw the Sai at me. '  
  
'Oh, hullo Frodo.' Said Sais, ignoring the irony in his voice. She took the Sai out of his cloak and said to him,' Where the boat? I've got a potential death on my hands here.'  
  
'Who is that anyway?' asked Frodo, 'I don't think I've ever seen her before.'  
  
'She bears another ring. Like the one you did.'  
  
Frodo looked at her in horror, but then regained his composure. 'Lets see this young bearer then' he said, motioning for Sais to put Froda on the floor where he could see her. Sais did so.  
  
Froda stirred a little as Frodo swept some of her hair out of her face. 'Human culture gets everywhere these days doesn't it?' he said, laughing a little at what both of them were wearing, 'Uncle Bilbo would have laugh to see how the young ones dress nowadays.'Where is Scarlet Webb? And Xandra?'  
  
'Xandra is fighting off some ring wraiths, and Scarlet.. is where ever we left her.'  
  
_____________________  
  
I'm afraid I'll have to leave you with that cliff hanger for the time being. I know it's taken a long time for me to update, and I have no excuse.  
  
Well, I hope you enjoyed that.  
  
Thanks for reading 


End file.
